"You
cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within
himself." --Galileo
How
can you be a better you? The
question isn't intended as an insult.
We all have areas or things we'd like to enrich about
ourselves. Perhaps you
want to be more creative or improve your memory.
You might like to have stronger leadership or sales skills.
Some
people want to become better public speakers or listeners.
Speed-reading is a goal of many as is stress management or time
management.
Do
you want to learn a foreign language or develop stronger writing
skills? All of these self-improvement areas can be found on the
Internet.
A
website called Self
Growth bills itself as "the recognized leader for Self
Improvement on the Internet," with 3000 unique articles on the
subject by 500 experts. They
also have links to over 4000 related websites arranged in a topical
directory.
The
site has topics related to Self Improvement generally and to improving
relationships. It also
features health-related subjects like fitness, diet and nutrition,
natural medicine and mental health.
Some
of the unusual topics covered include negotiating skills, Feng Shui,
Neuro Linguistic Programming, Gurus, Brain Enhancement and Body
Language. There’s
something double-edged about reading articles on self-improvement:
they’re attractive, addictive and time-consuming while some of them
offer to help you become better at time-management and organization.
The
Self
Growth Link Exchange Club provides links to a wide variety of
interests. In addition to those already mentioned, you'll find links
to websites that can help you to learn faster, develop your
creativity, set goals or develop your career.
Sedona
Training Associates
offers a Self Improvement Quotient Test that they say will "help
you to see yourself more clearly and know where you can deepen your
understanding and thereby live what you know instead of just think
about it or read about it".
"Psychology
& You" is a personal development and self-help newsletter
written by Dr. Thomas Yarnell, a clinical psychologist. The articles
cover a wide variety of subjects you can use to help yourself, your
children, your spouse and your friends.
Top
Achievement,
as the name implies, has been dedicated to motivational articles and
quotes to be read by achievement-minded people.
They've also included a resources section with hundreds of
listings of self-improvement, personal development and motivational
sites.
Top
Achievement has also made a Discussion Board available for the
discussion of different aspects of self-improvement and personal
empowerment. Their
"Perseverance Quotient is another fascinating feature of the site
that tests your ability to persevere in the pursuit of your goals.
The
Self Help
Network focuses on "the best self help, personal success, and
self improvement books of all time". They have reviewed 20 books
in each of 15 categories including Business, Communication, Diet and
Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness, Family and Parenting, Leadership and
Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Additional
categories have books on Personal Success, Relationships, Sales and
Marketing, Self Improvement, Spirituality and Inspirational, Success
for Students, Wealth and Finance.
Apart
from the books, the Self Help Network also recommends lists of
products in each of the categories plus free articles on the Web site
as well as links to other related sites.
Another
Web site featuring self-help books and products, including reviews in
twenty-five different categories, calls itself the Self
Help Warehouse.
Do
you suffer from disturbing, uncontrollable noise that interferes with
your ability to sleep, relax, meditate or concentrate on work or
studies? For $65, you can order the Marsona 980 Dual Speed Sound
Conditioner.
According
to the product review, "it is recommended by doctors for their
patients, by mothers for their children in nurseries, by professional
people for their offices, by restless sleepers and most
enthusiastically, by current users throughout the world".
This
is one of hundreds of products and books devoted to self help related
to everything from stress reduction, improving self esteem or memory
to relieving depression, grief, fears and phobias.
They also have over 20 children's categories.
Ever
thought of creating your own subliminal messages?
You can download a program
for creating your own affirmations subliminally. You can try the program free for 30 days.
Subliminal
messages are messages that are displayed for such a short period of
time that your mind does not consciously register what it sees.
Instead your mind registers it sub-consciously. This means that
your conscious mind cannot form arguments against the ideas and so you
are more susceptible to the subliminal idea.
A
page full of "resources to improve, help and empower" has
been set up by Improving
Me. The page has
numerous articles that make good reading and offer useful advice in
various areas of self-improvement.
You're
sure to find more than one of these articles relating to your own
interests. Out of almost
20 articles that are summarized on the page, I immediately found three
related to my own concerns. I
recalled how Ralph Waldo Emerson referred to “the never ending task
of self improvement…”
Self
Help for Her
is a site meant only for women, with articles on fitness, getting
organized, money, nutrition, parenting, personal growth,
relationships, time management and work. I cheated, as a male invading women's territory, and had a
look at a number of articles and resources and found many of them
equally relevant to male interests.
Book
publishers Barnes
and Noble has an impressive list of self-improvement books.
These are their best sellers for the genre.
They can also be sorted according to top matches, publication
date or title.
A
very popular self-improvement website follows the Dr. Phil TV show. Dr.
Phil.com has plenty of advice on Health, Life Strategies, Money/Career, Parenting, Relationships/Sex, Self Matters
If
you're interested in meditation and Yoga, free online instruction
and exercises are available at this Buddhist
site out of Thailand,
which also describes breathing exercises and yoga positions.
Another
approach to self-help involves listening rather than reading. Along these lines is a technology
developed by the Centerpointe
Research Institute. Its director, Bill Harris, refers to his
product as “Holosync audio technology”.
According
to the advertising, the tapes "stimulate the creation of new
neural pathways between the right and left hemispheres of your brain,
balancing your brain and leading you to a high-performance state
scientists call 'whole brain functioning'."
This,
in turn, will supposedly "dramatically improve your learning
ability, memory, intuition, creativity, and your ability to focus,
concentrate and think more clearly and create true quantum leaps in
your personal self awareness."
The
site provides a demo of the technology for listening with stereo
headphones. I found the demo relaxing and the testimonials on the Web
pages impressive. However,
the program seemed expensive at $149.00 for the introductory tapes;
and apparently 12 more levels follow at similar prices.
The cost, however, makes the testimonials even more impressive.
I
found another website
that appears to be offering the same, or similar, tapes under the
label "Mind Aerobics", for $69.95.
Not only does this and the Holosync program offer to eventually
alleviate anger, fear, self-sabotage, anxiety, and a host of other
problems, it promises to dramatically increase personal effectiveness.
Both programs even offer a one-year money-back guarantee.
Taking
a different approach, Gary Crowler, Ph.D., has compiled "A
Survival Guide for the New Age" on his website
called "Self-Improvement Removement". Be sure to click on the button under the offer to "Learn
How to Get Rich Quick".
Dr.
Crowler offers a number of "simple ways to be happier without
'improving yourself'". His
idea is the opposite of that held by the self-improvement gurus, and
he prescribes enjoying who you are right now and having a happy life.
Sounds a bit like the classic cartoon figure that says,
"Don't worry. Be
happy"!
One
can give Dr. Crowley his due, enjoying who you are right now, and
still finding satisfaction in additional brain food.
In short, help yourself to the fulfilling nourishment of
self-improvement.
