SELF-GROWTH REALITY REPAIR

SELF-GROWTH REALITY REPAI
By
Bill Cottringe
n“Common sense is the simple knack of seeing something as it is and doing things as they should be done.” ~Mark Twain.

This article has been written for both self-growth writers and readers. Having been an avid student, teacher, practitioner, and writer in the self-help movement for over four decades, I am willing to state two bold assumptions that might be somewhat unpopular or upsetting. There is really no practical way I or anyone else can prove or disprove the actual validity of these two assumptions, but I think the majority of open and honest writers and readers will probably agree after some initial hesitancy.

So here goes:

1. There is more good information available on the topic of self-growth than on any other issue today.

2. There isn’t a real strong connection between all this good self-growth information and actual positive self-help outcomes.

There’s no doubt that the self-growth industry has mega-exploded everywhere we look—the Internet, bookstores, TV and movies, mail and multi-media advertising of products and services, and even in religion. Now as far as proving or disproving the positive impact and outcomes of all this self-growth products and services goes, that is probably not practically possible. But there are some very good reasons to question the connection.

I can use myself as a good example. I have been well-educated, trained and worked on by the best of the best through quality self-help education, books, tapes, mentoring, workshops and life-changing conversations and experiencing from the Australian Outback to Mt. Funjiama to the cliffs of Big Sur. But I have to admit, much of it didn’t stick or translate into long term positive outcomes. In all humility I still have a long personal self-growth journey at age 65.

I think this problem is a difficult one to unravel because success requires arriving at a not-so-easy practical balance between thinking globally and acting locally. This takes a great deal of time, effort and patience and denies our common addiction to immediate need gratification for quick and easy cures to unwanted realities.

The best way to reverse the disappointing reality of the lack of positive relationship between the incomprehensible volume of self help information and actual desired outcomes is to:

• Converge on an informed consensus as to the common way we all derail in life from learning, growing and improving into being our best whole selves in our inter-related physical, intellectual, emotional, social, vocational and spiritual development.
• Taking the time to apply this common global derailment in the local context it affects most in an individual’s life, person by person.

Of course if writers start narrowing their global cures to more specific local situations and readers apply a little self-discipline to increase patience and decrease the demand for over-simplified quick and easy cures, the connection between 1 & 2 assumptions above will grow stronger. It can’t help but do that with all the collective positive energy that is emerging.

I see the common derailment we all fall prey to in a very simple way that is not so simple to understand and correct. Our common derailment is in not seeing, understanding or reacting to reality as it is (violating Mark Twain’s famous definition of common sense).

When we finally slow down enough to notice that our private versions of what is happening aren’t nearly as correct and complete as we imagine something wonderful happens. We open up to a much more accurate and complete perception of reality to act on and get much better results in our perpetual, lifelong efforts to learn, grow and improve in the six basic human areas of growth and development. This is what takes patience and eventually leads to the ultimate outcomes of self-growth—the compelling, undeniable, and intrinsically rewarding feelings of genuine success and authentic happiness.

William Cottringer, Ph.D. is President of Puget Sound Security in Bellevue, WA, along with being a Sport Psychologist, Business Success Coach, Photographer and Writer living in the scenic mountains of North Bend. He is author of several business and self-development books, including, Re-Braining for 2000 (MJR Publishing), The Prosperity Zone (Authorlink Press), You Can Have Your Cheese & Eat It Too (Executive Excellence), The Bow-Wow Secrets (Wisdom Tree), and Do What Matters Most and “P” Point Management (Atlantic Book Publishers), and Reality Repair Rx (Publish America) This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book Reality Repair. Bill can be reached for comments or questions at (425) 454-5011 or bcottringer@pssp.net nn