We are Not Broken...

The French Started it...

It was arguably a Frenchman called Emile Coue who began what we now know as the Personal Development movement - he would encourage people to simply affirm to themselves that "Every Day in Every Way I Am Getting Better and Better..."

Since this 19th Century pioneer, the movement has become awash with Coaches, Mentors, Gurus, Master Practitioners, Wizards and Pop Psychologists of every flavour.

The movement has some great and wise people doing amazing work - inspiring and teaching others how to lead happier more fulfilling lives, make more money and contribute positively to society and the world.

Around its rather tarnished and faded edges there are also those who, having achieved nothing of significance themselves, seek to simply regurgitate received knowledge in the vain hope that, whilst it didn't work for them - they will get paid enough money by others if they relay the ideas with enough conviction.

I went to a seminar earlier this year and was told that in order to become successful I had to overcome my limiting beliefs. I wasn't aware that I had such things, but I was assured that in fact I did, and unless I overcame them - I would be banished to a life of mediocrity and depression. 

The clear message was that we were all broken and needed to be fixed - with a cocktail of visualisations, time line analysis, NLP and regression therapy. Much crying and sobbing ensued with "breakthroughs" being achieved in the dense embrace of a Kleenex tissue - I went to the bar for an early lunch...

But what if we weren't all broken - what if all these "Coaches" with zero on their personal and professional balance sheet, didn't have to bring the audience down to their level before they move forwards.

The skills that apparently qualify such gurus' include - working a the Council / Factory and being laid off, selling furniture, working as a waiter, having a breakdown / divorce / bankruptcy, being shouted at by the teacher and any number of other mind numbing experiments in banality.

Working with a Coach is the single best thing that any of us can do - so make sure you pick a good one...

Next time you are in touch with a Coach, Consultant, Master Wizard or Practitioner of any kind - check out their credentials - specifically;

1. Relationships - have they been able to have a long term stable relationship with anyone, ever...?
2. Have they actually achieved anything of significance - personally or professionally...?
3. Are the using their own knowledge and ideas - or simply those that have been found on Wikipedia or on the "Mind and Spirit" shelf at Waterstones.
4. Do they assume you are broken and need fixing - or amazing and simply need encouraging with some proven strategies...?
5. Have they become a Coach / Mentor / Wizard simply because they were laid off or became unemployable...?
5. Are they a person that you aspire to be like...?

If you cannot answer these questions to your satisfaction, move on and find someone to help you who actually cares enough about themselves and those around them to have achieved something amazing before they attempt to help others do the same.