Are you reading any self-help books?

[Quantum]

one of my favorites is You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment.

"if you don't take care of your own suffering first, it's difficult to help others."

i used to go to a Vietnamese Buddhist temple for meditation.

[Jeannine]

Love self-help books - especially those by Deepak Chopra. There's a new one out, called 'You are the universe'. Waiting to get my hands on that one :-)

[Quantum]

oh yea, Chopra is cool.

[GR]

I stopped reading self-help after I realized they all said the same thing. In fact, I thought about writing one. And someone else can do the same thing. Take all the books and break all the chapters into categories, and than write your own version.

The self-help would be to help me make it. Just a thought. I'm sure every self-help author is doing it.

I used to know a fellow who put together a book about how to make it rich without working. The author sold thousands. Never worked a day in his life. Just reaped the money off his book telling people how to do it. He doesn't say anything in the book about writing a book, but it's the book that made him rich without working.

[Jen Pattison]

GR wrote: "I stopped reading self-help after I realized they all said the same thing."

Same here GR, and also after meeting a couple of the 'big names' and realising that they were first and foremost business people. I have also heard (from someone who knew the author) of an author who bought 6 books on alternative therapies at a car boot sale, summarised each, put them together and published a coffee table book that sold very well.

I've gone back to the foundation texts, I especially like the Upanishads.

[Jason Wicky]

I love self help books!

I also need to constantly re-read them in order to understand the author's viewpoints more.

I consider all business, investment, marketing, spiritual, insights, bio,autobiography and self improvement books as self-help.

Some books I like
Unstoppable Confidence

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do

[Scout]

When I was much younger, I read many self-help books, beginning with How to Win Friends and Influence People. Others were not as helpful and, as I've gotten older, I've lost interest in reading them. Now, when I need some instruction on how to do something, I go to the Web. Today, I learned how to open up my iPhone to let it dry out after a dunk in the pool.

[Nik]

Scout wrote: "Today, I learned how to open up my iPhone to let it dry out after a dunk in the pool. .."

Did it help? #7 is supposedly waterproof, but I'm still a little anxious to test it -:)

[Scout]

I wouldn't test it just for the heck of it. This is an iPhone 6, and I'm not so sure it will come back to life. Took it to a professional today, so we'll see. It's cool, though, to be able to find directions on the Web for almost anything you want to try. I grew up in the old days when you had to go to the library and spend hours trying to find answers in books:) For this reason, I love the Internet - the ultimate self-help resource.

[Nik]

Scout wrote: "I wouldn't test it just for the heck of it. This is an iPhone 6, and I'm not so sure it will come back to life. Took it to a professional today, so we'll see. It's cool, though, to be able to find ..."

And there are so many films, showing exactly 'how-to' on youtube!

[Quantum]

One self-help book that I think is really tops is:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

if only b/c the 7th habit is to renew and rejuvenate oneself, which I don't believe I've seen in any other self-help book. Am I wrong?

[Scout]

I don't have the book. Can you explain what it says regarding the renew and rejuvenate idea?

[Quantum]

Here's a quote:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

"What are you doing? you ask.

"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."

"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"

"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."

"Well, why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."

"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"

Habit 7 is taking time to sharpen the saw. It surrounds the other habits on the Seven Habits paradigm because it is the habit that makes all the others possible... It's renewing the four dimensions of your nature--physical [for example, exercise], spiritual [for example, meditation], mental [for example, writing], and social/emotional [for example, service]."

Thanks for asking. Now I realize I'm not doing some of these things!

[Graeme]

I'm possibly beyond all help....

[Scout]

Alex, I laughed when I came to the end of your example: "I don't have time to sharpen the saw; I'm too busy sawing!" When I look at the four dimensions of one's nature, I see that I need to work on the physical. I'm way too sedentary. A question I've had for a long while:
when it comes to service, does service to one's family count, or does it have to be service to the community? I feel guilty that I don't have the energy and time for both.