As I perused through Brian D. Ridgeway's book, "Break Your Self-Help Addiction," I found myself pondering on the concept of experience versus assumed value. Ridgeway discusses how he has spent 20 to 30 years indulging in self-help, only to find that it has not brought him closer to his desired outcome. He denounces the world of spiritual coaching, deeming it as a group of fraudulent individuals. While I agree with Ridgeway's perspective, it is amusing to note that the last three spiritual books I've read have all presented similar ideas, highlighting the flawed system but offering the same principles from a different angle. The law of attraction is one such principle that, while it cannot be proven, operates in our lives and affects our outcomes. Whether or not we are aware, we will attract what our subconscious believes it needs.
Comparing Ridgeway's "Break Your Self-Help Addiction" to Jim Collins' Level 5 Leadership, we find that both revolve around personal growth and self-improvement, but their approaches differ significantly. Ridgeway's work focuses on breaking the cycle of self-help addiction by fostering deep introspection and self-awareness to create lasting change. In contrast, Collins emphasizes the importance of developing leadership skills and traits, emphasizing the need for a disciplined and accountable organizational culture.
This brings me to my recent experience with my RV. When the heavy rain flooded its cab, I had to reconstruct the front end entirely, from the subfloor to the ceiling. If I had hired someone, I would never have had the opportunity to learn the puzzle that is repairing an RV from the inside out. The RV is a valuable asset to us, even though we've invested more than what we could resell it for. It holds memories that we cherish and could even be rented out on Airbnb.
In my pursuit of transformation, I've learned to understand my values, limitations, skills, and passions, and to find ways to achieve my goals using the resources I have. By recognizing who I am and where I want to go, I can believe in something instead of just hoping for something. The various coaching programs, illusion-busting courses, and quantifiable improvement systems all aim to help us understand ourselves better so that we can utilize our resources to achieve the change we seek.