"The difference between
what you were yesterday
and what you will be tomorrow
is what you do today."
-- Stephen Pierce
They used to be called motivational books, and that morphed into self-help books and now they call them self-improvement books. I do like the transition of those names because it becomes more what they are intended to do. Motivation doesn't help much and is often empty, and self-help seems like being your own contractor or doctor and not wanting to pay the real people. But, self-improvement is perfect. It is just right. Who doesn't want to improve? Of course, the only way anyone improves comes from within the self and in reality, the book can only be an inspirational tool toward the decision to change.
I've needed a lot of improvement, so I've read them since I found the first one around 1972, but somehow I always thought I would teach that kind of stuff and so I wanted to know more and more and to sample widely for a wise perspective, sort of like being a liberal arts major.
Today I went to buy a book for a friend and a memory of how I was teased and harassed about reading this genre of educational material and how they thought it was all about them making money from me buying the books. I ignored that because I didn't agree. And, you know the reason I didn't agree? Because I read the books and the people criticizing me did not. I don't know how they could have a valuable opinion when they didn't even have any knowledge of what the author had to say.
You may find as I have that there are plenty who are ready to be critical without any legitimate basis for it. Some people are threatened by your change. So be it. You can watch them guarding their ground as a fence post anchored to the earth as they fade away in the distance of your forward travel.
"Never Stop Investing. Never Stop Improving. Never Stop Doing Something New. Make It Your Goal To Be Better Each And Every Day, In Some Small Way." -- Bob Parsons
Spread Some Joy Today--Go and buy yourself a self-improvement book. If you need recommendations, let me know. It'll do you well.
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