The Personal Development Zombie

It seems we have a not-so-new, but rarely discussed scourge on the Personal Development landscape.

We’ve all met Mr and Mrs fit-in-at-all-costs; the Social Zombie (what would you like me to do, be, say?).
But over the last decade or three we have seen the rise of the Personal Development Zombie.
The Self-Help Automaton.
The person who hasn’t had an independent thought or opinion since the eighties.

Now before I get on my cyber-soapbox, let’s take a look at a couple of definitions:

Zombie – a person whose behaviour or responses are wooden, listless, or seemingly rote; automaton (ring any bells?).

Automaton – a person or animal that acts in a monotonous, routine manner, without active intelligence (know a few of these).

Cult - Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion by a group of people to, or veneration for, a person, principle, or thing. (Hmm… any Personal Development Programs, Books, DVD’s or Gurus spring to mind?)

Personal Development Zombie – a person seemingly incapable of independent thought. Takes on the beliefs, philosophies, ideologies and identity of other higher profile and allegedly(?) more enlightened individuals. Believes what he or she is told without question and typically memorises and quotes their guru ad infinitum. Doesn’t really understand or practice what he or she preaches but sounds very convincing.
Alright, a bit convincing.
Okay, really annoying.

The first three definitions are from respectable sources, the fourth is from the not-so-respectable Harper Dictionary (a little-known Australian resource).

Like many of you, I cut my teeth on a mountain of self-help…. stuff.
I read, I listened, I studied and I observed.
I questioned, I disagreed, I made mistakes, I got into arguments (no!).

And while I learned plenty from some great teachers and found much of what I explored to be insightful, educational, inspiring and incredibly valuable, I also realised that the results I would produce and the reality I would create in all areas of my life… was still all about me.

I could memorise and quote Tony Robbins, Steven Covey and Deepak all day but that wouldn’t make me… the best me I can be; it would make me a pathetic, wanna-be clone of someone else.
I still had to do, be, cope, manage, react to and learn from life… and all it’s unpredictable variables.

When it comes to learning from the Personal Development Gurus (and they are numerous)… listen to them, consider their philosophy… but be YOU.
Think, explore, question and discover your own truth.
Not someone else’s.

I’ve had people say to me… “I don’t know any more… you tell me what to think.”
I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true.
And sad.

Personal Development books, CD’s, DVD’s, programs and sites such as this one are not answers to problems.

They are resources.

They are information and inspiration.
Nothing more.

How valuable they (those resources) will be for you (personally) will depend entirely on what you do with the information. My observation is that most people go to workshops (or read books), get educated, get informed, get motivated (for a minute), leave the auditorium (or book) and then go straight back to their destructive habits, bad attitudes and unfulfilled lives.
Straight back to where they don’t really wanna be (literally or figuratively).

They do nothing.
They create no (genuine) change.

Don’t believe what I write merely because you (may) respect me or connect with my communication style.
NO, consider what I write, think about it, test it and see (prove) if it’s true for you.
Then come to some independent realisations about what is right (appropriate, real, meaningful, relevant) for you.

Have your own revelation.
And then do something with it.

Spend time becoming your own guru.
It’s all there… you just need to develop it.

Genuine personal growth (life-long, forever change) doesn’t come through courses, books or motivational workshops. They might be a catalyst for change… but the real growth comes through our experiences.
Our practical life lessons.
What we do.

We have to experience… to learn and grow.

And as long as our personal growth journey is limited to books, CD’s, DVD’s, workshops, web-sites, etc. (verses getting off our ass and doing life practically; learning by doing)… we run the very real risk of becoming a Personal Development Zombie.

Life ain’t a theory or a philosophy.

It’s an experience.