Self-help books, self-help gurus dominate our media. Bookshelves, online newsfeeds, Youtube channels. Everyone has the key to happiness, wealth, success, the universe.
My question. If any of this worked, wouldn’t we have no need for “self-help”? Wouldn’t they run out of customers? Just has to work once. But yet, people keep turning again and again to the next technique, the next list of “must-dos”, the next key to fame, fortune and felicity.
Self-help doesn’t work simply because it isn’t self-help. It is a one size fits all command for out there, from someone else. And they can’t help you. Only YOU can help you. So true self-help begins with your special situation, the special vibe that you are in this universe. And no book, no video, no cool quote is ever gonna capture that.
So don’t buy into the self-help religion. It is just preying on your search for an answer. Be patient, look within, read some poetry, talk to friends, be happy with your small successes, and embrace gratitude and the joy in just being here.
Learn to love what is and be what is. Stop grasping. Listen to Alan Watts.
It’ll all work out. And you’ll have saved a pretty penny too.
My Condition
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.” - Hemmingway.
Some days I'm like
a kid just handed
a glass of milk and a big
P & J sandwich
happy, content, overjoyed
pig in shit,
awake to
the possibilities in the day ahead.
Other days, I'm numb.
No sun, no shine.
Death coats every damn thing.
Why is there anything?
Why this not that?
And I could die at
any moment, the dread
no answers
to the murderous flesh n bone
thing
we shitting bipeds are.
And it is, what it is.
No self-help book.
No Netflix series.
No XO therapy.
No woman.
No dog.
No cry.
Is gonna change that.
It's like, late night at the casino.
One moment, you're a $1,000 up
and feeling like the King of Siam.
Next, you're walking head down
on the soft purple carpet
to the cash machine.
It's all about that middle way.
Balancing these human, so human books.
If you can do that - it'll work out.
Whatever the pain along the way.
If not, you'll have an early night.
Nothing can help you.