Question … do generic solutions help? Or can they do more harm in the long run?
So, I was sitting down with my cup of coffee and deep thoughts started drifting through my consciousness – as they do with a good cup of coffee.
Are we creating damaged people because of the surge in self-help interest? The field is a “wild west” of the helping practices and the “big” names in the field are copying the MLM business model. That is – they get a following and get paid to teach the following how to be just like them. Then the following gets a following …
So, is this resulting in better people? A better society? A better world?
I’m not seeing it, but the statisticians and poll-takers may be the better folks to ask.
As a coach, what I’m seeing is a lot of people who have difficulty with the most basic issues. Unarmed with any coping mechanism, some very minor issues will throw them. Now i say minor, but I’m speaking from my own perspective. I’m guessing that I face many challenges which others may find “minor”.
Remember, these are the thoughts that are drifting. Not really being mulled over. I don’t have a solution and am unsure if there is one.
- But let’s look closer … here are just a few examples of what I’ve seen in groups on Facebook.
- In response to a writer who was asking what to do about stress and anxiety, “take a nice hot bath” … really?
- In response to money issues, “use the law of attraction”
- In response to depression, “enjoy nature”
Etc ….
Now, each of these in tandem with other strategies is nice. But a hot bath will not be your permanent solution to anxiety. Feeling suicidal and hearing this cotton candy advice may push a person to self-harm. We can’t cure our money woes by meditating on attracting money. We can, however, examine our core beliefs around money and then deal with those until we have extracted the full root of the problem.
I think I need a refill …
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