Do Self-Help Books really help?

[mrsonthego]

Hi sisters, I'm into reading self help books lately. Some hindi ko napapa praktis kasi nalimutan ko na lol. Pero ang sarap kasi mag basa ng self help books, lalo na yung kay John C Maxwell, among others.

Can you share some self help books that really helped you or changed your life?

[dClaude]

I was never into self help books because it felt like they were telling me what the right thing to do and my way was not the right way. A few years ago, I asked my mom to buy me this book about depression and she bought me something about self-worth (we bought them at St. Pauls Bookstore), but they just made everything worse. The only thing the books made me realize was I  was never going any where.

Fortunately now though, I'm no longer that person. The books kinda change my life in a way that they taught me that I should do something to get over whatever I'm feeling. No, I didn't follow or read the how to's in the books. I did it through my own effort

My mom on the other hand loves self help books. She has been an amazing leader/speaker and the most positive person I've ever seen. I know her favorite self help books are The Secret and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Books, I think that strengthened her perspective in life.

[glamorosa_09]

Hmmm...

Merriam-Webster defines self-help as an act of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problem.

Siguro for bettering oneself I can name a few books that really made a mark on me: Fascinating Womanhood, Untethered Soul, Mastery, Marriage Clinic. Mga hindi ko makakalimutan yan. Talaga namang nakatanim sa akin yung mga natutunan ko dyan, at inaapply ko talaga.

These books are like coaching me or mentoring me. So when they give advice or tell you to "do this, do that," it's for improving yourself. Dahil the experts know what has worked. When they give insights, it's purpose is to widen your self-awareness for you to get to know yourself better. This deepened self-awareness could create a lasting change.

With overcoming one's problem naman, wala. Telling someone to "do this, do that" in dealing with their personal and emotional problems doesn't help. Experts say giving advice doesn't change people, dahil iba-iba tayo ng resources. There's no one fit solution in personal problems. What worked for some, may not work for others.

So that's my answer.

[killbill]

For me it does.

First book i read was the pummeled heart pero super tagal na yun.

[17glut]

I think it does and it has similar effect with those inspirational articles that you can find online. Pero those are just food for thoughts and ultimately, it will be up to you on how you can help yourself.

[geekchiq]

I am not really into self help books. Sometimes kasi I feel like a failure pa if I read those books. I compare my life to stories of who made it, who were able to overcome the strugggles.. And if I don't, mas nadedepress pa ako. But some people swear na these self-help books really helped them.

I read books (romance, dystopian) to escape reality. And not think about what's happening and all. Pangtanggal stress ko kasi ang books.

[starbitee]

To me it works. Try The Richest Man in Babylon (finance book) and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. I'm now reading The Four Agreements (personal freedom). And after that, I'll read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

[[-c-h-a-]]

I think it depends on the person because ultimately, it'll still be up to you. The book has maybe given you advice but at the end of the day, will you put it into action? Madali lang magbasa... pero putting everything you read into action can be difficult.

I've read various self help books before... and when I became a mother, mas lalo na I'm now reading the book "It Takes Two to Talk" for delayed talkers and it is really good! Hubby and I are consciously doing the strategies discussed in the book.

keyword : "consciously doing"

[jazz17]

I've read some self-help books that really helped me. I prefer reading fiction books but may times na may mga gusto akong maintindihan about myself. So I read self-help books na may kinalaman sa mga issues ko sa life. 😄 After reading them, kahit paano naman I gained new perspectives. I don't follow everything the author says. Just those na talagang makakatulong sa kin. Yung paulit-ulit kong binasa is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens (very helpful when I was in college 😄).

[kaiz]

5 langguages of love and Anna Marie Kondo's book on tidying.

[purple.strawberry]

Not really. If I'm heartbroken for instance and I read books about moving on/getting love back parang naeemphasize lang sa'kin yung situation ko when I can do other things naman to distract myself. Same thing when I'm sad.

I'd rather read feel-good fiction books or books by Abraham Hicks.

[killbill]

If there's one book that really changed my life, yun ang The Secret. Hindi nga lang ata sya under self help? New age ata. Sorry if OT
 

[pinklilac]

^ sis same tayo. The Secret ang naka tulong  sa akin  ng malaki.

On topic..mahilig  din ako magbasa  ng self help books
Pero tulad ni sis killbill iba ang nagawa ng THe Secret sa akin

[junetwentythree]

I was never big on self-help books. Made me think about that SATC episode where Charlotte was secretly browsing through the self-help section at the bookstore, thinking needing such books was such an embarrassing situation to be in. But then I went through a pretty rough break up. But I was determined to move on, so I read "The 30 Day Heartbreak Cure" by Catherine Hickland. She has you document everything you're going through, while helping you heal with self affirmations and realizing your self worth without the other person. I found it really helpful and I don't know if it was just my firm resolute to get past that painful heartbreak, but sure enough at the end of the 30 days, I had found myself again and had moved on.

I would only recommend self-help books to those who seriously want to get better. You have to commit and put in your time and effort to do what the book advises you to do.

[najine]

For me, self help books do help. The 1st I read was the book of Andrew Matthews “Happiness in a nutshell” naheram ko lang siya then I bought my own copy of “Happiness in hard times” which paulit ulit ko siyang binabasa esp. when Im feeling down. Its really worth reading. 

[pinklilac]

^sis meeon din akong Happiness  in a Nutshell  ni Andrew Matthews. At isa sa paborito  ko yan

[chiqmom]

I'm so much into self help book, I love the feeling they give them.

[SaffiyahEnglish]

Sabi ng Psychology professor ko b******t daw yung mga self help books. Kasi what makes the author happy is different from what makes you happy. May mga 7,8,9,10 etc. to Make You Happy from different authors pa nga eh. Iba iba kasi view natin sa life. Sa tingin ko, tips lang yun depende pa rin kasi sa iyo yun kung susndin mo or hindi. Minsan nasa momentum ka ng pagbabasa at inspired na inspired ka, then after reading the book back to normal ka na ulit. Kung ako papipiliin mas okay pa sa akin yung about sa financial like paano magtipid. Example ay si Chinkee Tan.

[kaiz]

maganda yung bo sanchez na 30 day to trasnform your life but di ko na apply. gusto

[chiqmom]

for me, yes.