“How to” versus “How did”

by Blair Warren

In response to my free report “The 10 Greatest Self Help Classics You’ve Never Heard Of,” one person complained that self-help books “don’t work.” He says he’s read over a hundred of them and the ideas haven’t changed his life a bit.  The funny thing is, he keeps reading them!

Actually, this isn’t funny.  It’s smart.  It’s smart because he’s this close to discovering what’s missing in the mix.

The fact is, the ideas in self-help books DO work - if one actually DOES something with them AND has enough belief in them.  Assuming he’s actually trying to apply the principles, his trouble appears to be one of belief.  And I doubt the next 100 self-help books are going to do anything to change that.  But I know something that might.

He needs to read fewer “how to” books and more “how did” books. 

He needs to read biographies, autobiographies and other nonfiction accounts of average people who have achieved extraordinary success.  He shouldn’t read these books to uncover “how” these people succeeded but to truly understand THAT these people succeeded, often despite circumstances much worse than his own.  This is the key.  The missing ingredient. 

When we immerse ourselves in stories such as these our beliefs about what is possible begin to change.  And until they do, all the self-help books in the world can’t help us.  But when we combine deep belief with solid technique, nothing can stop us.

No, don’t give up on “how to” books.  Just add some “how did” books to your reading list and watch what happens.

Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at 08:30 AM

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