Comments on: You Are Perfect Now

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:22 +0000

Charley, What a thoughtful and thought-provoking post and comments. I have not done much reading on personal development, But I thought the way you described how self-improvement can become detrimental–with one so-called failure leading to another–made a lot of sense.

It seems as if personal development may become orthodoxy, so that it becomes difficult to challenge some of its tenents. Maybe my own focus on the reality versus the myth (of aging for example) comes from my reservations about orthodoxy.

By: Justin Dixon- AlittleBetter.net

Justin Dixon- AlittleBetter.net — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:58:28 +0000

Charlie this is my favorite post that I've seen out of you yet. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn't broken.

By: Arvind Devalia

Arvind Devalia — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:56:45 +0000

Excellent post as usual Charley, no holds barred!

I can completely relate to where you are coming from, and also Patrick above.

For as long as I can remember, I have been into personal development and making myself "better".

When I was very young, I had immense confidence, drive and "I can do anything" attitude. Now where did that go?!

Maybe blotted out by all this searching and fixing?!

Now I am at the point where I am happy where I am, I have to come my own philosophy of life, I don't follow any particular "guru" or path – and best of all I am happy (most of the time).

And maybe that's what our personal development is all about – try out lots of different things, read lots and then find that actually we are fine and okay as we are – and that we can be happy in that:-)

Great post – keep them coming.

By: Charley Forness

Charley Forness — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:09 +0000

A terrific comment, as always, Patrick. I am a Pisces, and not having the spiritual guides you have, I wonder if I, too, am a bee gathering honey (information). It seems to be the pattern that I've taken over the last twenty years or so.

I often wonder that. Maybe I am here to gather information for my higher self, but like you I imagine, I've felt a lifelong compulsion to be the guinea pig and pass along to others the techniques that work for me.

As seemingly selfless as this is, I still think that for me, it's born from an ego-centric behavior system…there's something wrong with me, so I need to fix it.

By: Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com

Patrick @ unwrapyourmind.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:07:07 +0000

Man, I can really relate to that. Maybe one of the reasons I started my own blog was because of the realization, that falling to this picture of me being broken and needing a fix – has kept me for years in the industry collecting hundreds of books, going several different paths, and labeling myself as a non-follow-through person.

Yet one of my spiritual teachers then taught me, that this was exactly right for me (I am a gemini). He told me, that this wandering around, collecting ideas like a bee collects honey, is what is needed to create for myself what will be my way. Yes it is frustrating at times, but I am getting better at finding out, what fits me and what does not. So I am also getting better at trashing out books, ideas, and erroneous ways in my life.

I once studied medicine, but found out that this wasn't the way of my heart. While I might have looked at it like a failure, it has been one of the most important parts of my life.

So for me it is a blessing to know that at times I can be a bee and must not feel bad, when I bring out the trash that is not useful for me – and I don't mind, whether others think of this being a sacrileg.