Self-improvement and personal development and growth are a constant in my mind. I seek self-improvement literature in all forms of media. While, I appreciate this content and often times learn from it and grow I struggle with the presentation of these articles and sources. I’ve come to dislike the consistent underlying negative message that communicated. The message “you’re not good enough as you are.” I understand their are circumstances where humans need to change. I’m not talking about those sensitive topics, I’m addressing the “surface level”, quick fix topics in the self-improvement world.
Looking around my room I see some of the headlines on the popular magazines I subscribe to, here are the messages I see “Fight flab and win”, “10 tips to happiness”, “5 ways to get co-workers to like you etcetera”, you get the idea. These messages tell me “Bonnie, you’re not good enough. You must change your life, and the only way you achieve this is by reading this article, buying this book, attending this conference, attending this workshop, signing up for this 8-weeks class.” Again, you get the point. Yes, I know much is this marketing, and attention getting methods to increases sales, etc. However, I have to wonder if there is a positive way to communicate self-improvement materials? For example, “You are so awesome. Here is some advice to the next level, awesomeness.” (Ok, you can tell I wouldn’t have cut it in marketing and PR:)
Don’t get me wrong I truly enjoy reading self-improvement materials. Learning, growing and being enlighten is all part of this beautiful journey. Enhancements are great, but I also love me for me. I don’t want to change the core of me.
We hold the power to reset our minds before engaging in the journey of self-improvement to self-enhancement. This will enable us the ability to value and appreciate ourselves just the way we are, and we won’t loose sight of our core being. Lets compare ourselves to cars, not just any car but lets say…I don’t know um…an Aston Martin. You are top of the line, best quality money can buy; anything additional is purely an enhancement!
Before you pick that next self-improvement literature or attend the next conference say to yourself “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough and doggone it people like me.“ ~Stuart Smalley
This is my journey of self-enhancement! 
The HR Life 
Interesting point! Those type of self-help articles certainly do imply that the general populous is miserable and that there’s a general standard of self satisfaction by which we all need to gage ourselves. But, as you say, that is the marketing hype that sells magazines. Self satisfaction comes from within, the things that drag us down are external and we have a choice as to how we respond the external forces. Unhappy events do occur, we all make mistakes, and most folks have self-doubt from time to time, but Stuart Smalley’s simple mantra, although part of a comedy routine, really does resinate!