Why reading a Personal Development Book Everyday can change your life
January 8, 2010 by mbelcher
Filed under Personal Development
Personal Development is like taking a shower a day….
In 2004 I didn’t really read books. I read at school but once I left then I didn’t really think about it.
OK, I may have read a Raymond Feist Book once or twice like the Magician but I didn’t read to learn, only for enjoyment when I felt like it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to read. In fact I had to read a lot for work. I was consulting in the software industry and much of my time was spent either creating contracts or reading them. Not much fun really.
I just didn’t see the point in reading.
Then something changed. If you have read my story then you know I was in a pretty bad place when a friend helped me. I was nearly bankrupt, about to lose my house, drinking heavily and did not have good relationships. I was sad and unhappy. After a good career in the software business I went into my own business and lost almost all my money, and some I didn’t have.
If you have ever been in the same place you know how it feels. It make you feel ill. That’s the best way I can put it. Not only do you have no money but you still have to pretend that everything is fine to those who said you could never do it in the first place. There is nothing worse than that person in town saying “So how is your business” and me saying with a smile “Oh fine”.
But really I just want to go home cry. Seriously cry. Cry my eyes out.
It was at this point I was ready to learn something new, a new way of thinking. Luckily for me someone was about to give me that new way. He was a successful guy and knew that I needed something to make a change.
So what did he give me?
Well some personal development books. Nothing “too deep” to start with. You see he was smart, and he could see that I was the type of guy that would say “Oh I don’t need those self help books, they are all just crap anyway”. So he gave me Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad Poor Dad.
This is more business then “self help” and it was exactly what I needed. Yes the book is excellent and it changed the way I see business but more than anything it got me in the mode of reading to learn.
That’s exactly what my friend wanted it to do! Over the next few weeks he started to give me books that were more about looking at me rather than business. Books like How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Magic Of Thinking Big, Positive Personality Profiles. And it worked. I started to change. I started to see that many of my problems were just challenges and that I was causing them!
I also learnt that I wasn’t quite the amazing business man I thought I was (at 25!).
Then something great happened. I started to find books to read, I couldn’t read enough! In fact I think I can honestly say that for 2 years I must have read everyday for at least 10 minutes. There might have been the odd day but however I felt I read. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, before I slept I read.
This completely change me as a person and everything else changed with it. My relationships got better, I met some great new people, I slowly got out of debt, I felt good about myself and I actually stopped drinking for 2 years. I do drink now but back then I was alcoholic.
You see it’s not about NEEDING help from these self help or personal development books it’s just about realising that there might be information out there that I don’t know. It’s being honest and realising we don’t always know everything!
About 2 years into reading these books I met an old school friend in town. Obviously I was very excited about how these books had changed my life and I was very open about mentioning this to EVERYONE I met!
Oh well, boy did he have a different view!
He started off into this great big speech about how all Self help and Personal Development books are just brain washing and how they are just a load of crap. I was really surprised at his reaction. There I was just saying how much I have enjoyed them and here is was saying that I have been brainwashed!
Well, to be frank with you, I am fairly communicative myself when I feel like I should be and argued back that they are just there to help and you can take what works for you etc. Not very Personally Developed!
Do you think he felt the same after our “conversation” or had I sold the idea of reading these to him?
Yes guessed right. He went away thinking I was stupid and that those books were worse than ever.
By the way if you want to know what I thought about the brainwashing argument look at this post Personal Development Books are just brainwashing.
This wasn’t the only time I had someone tell me something just as negative. It got me wondering why. After thinking about this and talking to to others I came to the conclusion there it could be many things. Mainly probably due to fear but also lack of understanding about what these books really are.
All they are is how to books, or information books. Much like you get when you buy a new car or DVD player. Really the are nothing more than that. But they key is they are about changing your life not how to set up the DVD.
Have you ever read a text book on a subject? Maybe for business or work? Then that is exactly the same.
These books give you more ideas and knowledge about particular subjects only most of them are about people.
A new process
As I said, after about two years of reading every day I felt I had changed almost completely. I was still me, just a better more happy me. In fact many people commented about how different I was and for the first time in my life complete strangers would comment on how nice I was. Isn’t that good!
Well I got a little complacent and stopped reading every day. You can guess what I am going to say?
Things changed back a bit. Not completely to where I was but I noticed myself slipping back into some of the old ways. People would annoy me more, I wouldn’t be as “In the Present” as I would have like to. Nothing like before but I knew I needed to reading again.
Is that a crutch?
No way, not at all. It’s like taking a shower. If you didn’t do it every day you would start to smell. It’s the same with reading. If you do a little a day your mind is always thinking about it.
We all have busy lives so we need the reminders that these books give.
That’s why reading everyday can change your life. Just think if you could read 10 pages a day how many books you would read in a couple of months?
I know people who read a book a week and they are some of the most successful people I know. I heard a very successful speaker once say: -
“Books give you knowledge, knowledge gives you confidence, confidence creates action, and actions creates results”
I know this is true as I have felt this myself. I dare you to pick up a book and read everyday for 1 month and see how that changes your life.
Matt
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Sounds very similar to me. I was told about that book, but never did any reading in my life outside school.
I watched The Appentice, picked up Donald Trump book and never look back. I read Rich Dad Poor Dad later that year and now always have a book on the go. You can see what I am reading on my website.
Books can make a HUGE difference.
Cheers,
Mukul