Changing ourselves - the beginning...

Few things bother me more than ideas that purport to hold some great or noble truth, yet they ring hollow when applied to real life. There is a sense of bitterness and loss when a concept you've held to be true turns out to be disappointingly superficial and effect-less. Few domains suffer more from this malady than the ever-growing "self-help" genre of literature. I believe in the need for personal development and growth. What I despise, however, is authors and n-step program makers feeding the masses with ideas that waste time and lead to limited (if any) results... especially to results that are short-lived. What I despise even more is the fact that self-help gurus knowingly sell band-aids masked as persistent remedies... knowing that people will likely come back for the next "fix." Personal growth and psychological well-being should be toyed-with. People need practical tools to empower themselves in a sustainable fashion, not some "wishful thinking" syrup that lasts just a few days after the book, tape, or DVD is finished.

I also believe in putting one's passionate feelings--even if they may be sometimes be fueled by frustration--to positive use. So, I will begin sharing my own views on the topics of self esteem, inferiority, competition, self efficacy, behavioral change, and the like... and I will do so in this blog. I believe the ideas you will read are practical, and can lead to more realistic results than any rose-colored, sugary, "wishful thinking" philosophy many of today's self-proclaimed gurus would like you to adopt. Oftentimes the ideas will take you only so far... and then you need to develop new thoughts on your own; this is not meant to be a comprehensive thesis on human cognitive development. Instead, it's one person's way of giving back to society learnings and experiences developed over the years.

I do this first as a contribution to society. I can no longer stand idly by while people find false hope while searching for real answers. Second, I do it as a means of evolving a practical methodology to self development and change.

I urge you to comment, especially if we don't quite "see eye to eye." I also encourage you to share this blog with others; help others see that practical and sustainable self-development is possible. Don't worry about whether you agree or disagree... you imprint on the world through a voiced thought is what matters most.

Lastly, I do not see myself as holding the only key to personal growth and development. Different methods work for different people, depending on what stage each is at. We will progressively explore many ideas in subsequent blog entries, and you should take from them just those things that you find helpful.