“Light a candle by your side as you read something in the evening. This will have a serene effect on you”, says Robin Sharma in his book ‘Megaliving’. Although I never really tried to do this, the very idea of it spellbinds you. After a long day at work, it would indeed be rejuvenating.
It is but most appropriately told- ‘Books are men’s best friend’. There is so much to learn from them; more so from self-help books. The term ‘self-help’ must not be seen in a derogatory sense. It wouldn’t dare to mean that you do ‘need help’. It would just be a book where the writer shares his experiences in life or the experiences of people he have come across (and maybe even helped). My tryst with self-help books began with Robin Sharma’s ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’. This book can also be seen as a philosophical allegory. It had a profound influence in my life. I took to reading more and understanding life better. In the process, I learnt yoga and got into the world of meditation. As a corollary I discovered myself. I always felt like an agnostic; this made me feel very guilty. Why can’t I be religious like other people? Now I know where I was headed to- spirituality! Turns out I am spiritual. The book indeed helped me open up myself to a whole new side of me. I re-affirmed my faith!
What is a self-help book? What does it deal with? Well, the definition is vast, in fact endless, according to me. I not only see personality development as ‘self-help’ but every other book can be seen as one. If you get to learn something from a book, it is self-help to me. Learning yoga, cooking or creative writing; these are few of the examples where people read, get the ‘gyan’ and probably apply it for their own good. Auto-biographies are also an imperial way to treat yourself. It helps a lot to read about famous men who have walked the planet. This, to me, is the beauty of books. Please help yourself. Grab a good book today!
There might be 101 suggestions given in a book. It doesn’t mean you take to all of them. Take 5 great ones among them and we are good to go. In fact, I don’t think any writer would even be so naïve to assume every reader would blindly follow him. When in doubt, always take to your own instincts. The thing to be noted here is this. In a world where we get really lesser and lesser to look up to, these books might just be the thing you needed. I don’t intend to get anyone into a bubble and start showing the world as all ideal and ever perfect. No, but there are certain things we gain from reading them. First, we get to a lost art called ‘reading’. It inculcates a habit which will not only utilize your free time usefully but will also be productive. This will be different from reading just a Chetan Bhagat or a Shidney Sheldon. Secondly, you will be surprised to know how much positivity these books emanate. They are a store house of wisdom and well crafted strategies to live life more successfully. And most importantly, they tell the stories of ordinary people like you and I who are striving towards stoicism. These are the stories of people who have refused to give up. It can’t harm you to share a few of them!
A word of caution can be given at this point. There is a flood of ‘self-help’ books in the market today. The only mantra here will be self-attestation. Use your taste to sort out the better ones from the not so good ones. Undergo homework before venturing out to buy one. Your online community or your book club will most certainly be glad to help you find a good self-help book. And most importantly, word of mouth advice from your friends. Let’s say the worst has happened! You landed up buying a book which turns out to be a total sham. Never mind! Here is what Robin Sharma says about a book you don’t like- “It’s OK not to finish a book if you don’t like it”!
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