Based on all the goofy outfits and exotic toys and organic dog food my mom buys me, I've always assumed the pet industry was one of the highest grossing. But it turns out that self-help tops it, and has been growing for decades.
That got me thinking today, as I napped in my new Martha Stewart Pets memory foam bed. How many people do you know who take course after course, go on retreat after retreat, read every new book that comes out, but don't seem to actually TRANSFORM their habits or the results they are creating in life?
How can this be when so many people are investing in themselves? I've got a theory I'd like to share with you. It's kind of high level, but that's how the canine brain works. So stick with me, human.
My theory is that the majority of self-help pursuers are addicted to the "aha" moments that are awakened for them, and not to breaking thru the limiting beliefs and walls those moments spotlight.
Let me give you an example. We all know someone who has spent years looking into their past to uncover why they aren't creating the relationship they desire. They may discover its because of an experience they had with their first love, or because of how relationships were role modeled by their parents, or because a teacher or a coach or their babysitter told them they would never amount to anything.
And after digging into their psyche for one or two or 20 years, they discover the answer. And for a week or so, they feel pretty good about the light bulb that came on for them. But then what? That euphoria wears off and they jump back into answering another question about why they are who they are and why they make the decisions they make. It becomes a cycle, and ultimately an addiction. But nothing really changes.
My take? Who cares about discovering the reasons why if you're not going to use the information to breakthru and create something different? That's where most people stop – when life confronts them with the choice to live in awareness or live in commitment to a new result.
Most self-help books and seminars are about just that – awareness. But awareness without action leaves you exactly where you are. The only reason to look to your past is to let it inform you for a brief moment about what works or doesn't work for you. Once you've got that, it's time to create a vision for the future you DO want, and immediately get into action creating it.
That's what I love about the ChoiceCenter leadership curriculum my mom took and so many others have too. It's not just about awareness, it's about BREAKING THROUGH your limiting and disempowering beliefs to author the life you love. It's got a 100-day follow-through structure that pairs you with a personal coach to hold you accountable to what you say you want. And yet, even in that structure, you still have choice.
The wisdom I'm unleashing:
If you're not creating the results you desire – even and perhaps especially because you're a self-help junkie – it's time to check what you're committed to: awareness or a new result. Get committed to the second one and you will transform your life. As often as you want. In any area you desire.
Maybe dogs get this at a faster rate because we have less time on the planet than you do. I'm aging at 5.5 times what my mom is, so I can't let myself get distracted by answers to all the questions. The reasons why aren't important. What matters is right now and the future. Every moment I can choose to take action and create the life, the love, the bank account, the day, I desire. What are you choosing today?
Live in pawssibilities.
Stretch
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