Be Your Own Hero

<p>I’ve been watching a documentary on HBO called “The Vow.” It’s your typical feel-good story where a bunch of people get involved with a self-help guru without realizing they’ve actually joined a cult, despite some obvious red flags like… well, I don’t want to give anything away. You should check it out though. It’s fascinating.</p> <p>Watching this, it’s easy to wonder how anyone can possibly get into this situation and not know that something isn’t right. I always do my best to understand other points of view. I try to put my own judgment aside in attempt to find an explanation that makes sense. That’s not an easy thing to do. We all place some level of judgment on everything – it’s part of having a human brain. In this particular situation, however, it’s hard for me to see how they got so far into it before they realized that what was happening was wrong. That’s not to say I blame these people – I wasn’t in that situation, so I can’t criticize their choices.</p> <p>This happens all the time, though. Usually it doesn’t get to cult status, fortunately, but people do tend to get caught up in these fads of self-improvement while searching for ways to change their lives and businesses for the better. They look to others for inspiration, motivation, and some magical advice that will help them reach their goals. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking for input – if someone else is able to give you a different perspective that helps you move forward, that’s fantastic. Where it gets dangerous is when you take everything someone says as certainty without questioning if it really makes sense or if it’s really the right way for you.</p> <p>The inherent problem with some of these self-help books and groups and courses, in my opinion, is that they enable people to look outward to find what’s right for them. It’s normal to want others to guide us - to tell us how we should run our businesses, how we should make decisions, and what we should do to get ahead. But, while all of these people can give us ideas, no