I’ve noticed an interesting, somewhat limiting perspective from people who are not actively involved in self-development and/or personal discovery programs and pursuits. The general attitude I see in people who don’t read self-help books, and the sentiment projected by the mainstream/prime time media is…

Only losers and people who are “messed up” need self-help. This kind of book, course, and general content is for people who have something “wrong” with them.

Wow. What a sad, pathetic point of view!

First of all, people who don’t feel they can benefit from self-knowledge and personal development are fooling themselves and contributing to the “dumbing down” of our planet. EVERYONE has work to do in terms of finding out who they are and becoming their ideal self… this is perhaps the whole point of life!

Second, the most successful, happy, and wealthy people on this planet are the biggest market segment for self-help sales volume! Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and every other wildly successful person you can think of all understand the immense value of personal development and actively engage the pursuit of self-improvement.

Like me, you may have friends and relatives who think you’re a cook for spending so much of your time listening to personal improvement audios, reading self help books, watching spiritual DVDs, and so forth. Instead of being irked by these obtuse people, think of ways you can show them by example just how much of a great impact intentional self-discovery and development can have on an individual, family, and community level.

Seriously consider: If everyone took complete responsibility for being their personal best this world would become heaven on earth in many ways!

The power of thought alone can transform our society. And with every individual spirit vibrating at the optimal level we will have the power to manifest the ideal world.

Obviously I’m “limited” by the same human perspective as anyone else when I start talking about the meaning of life and the nature of the cosmos. But accepting this reality and moving forward, it appears to me in the most profound way that self discovery is the true meaning of life.

Learning about, knowing, and transforming the self is the ultimate quest. And a lack of self examination is at the heart of every problem people in this society spend their time wailing and whining about.

It may even be true that not knowing the self is at the heart of the world’s political “problems” and staged controversies. But that’s a story for another article.

I can say with confidence that to the extent an individual chooses to ignore self discovery and taking an honest look within, he or she must be suffering. It’s both sad and pathetic really.

I know so many people who are miserable in this life. They are unhappy about a lack of money, a lack of fulfillment, and so forth.

But they are absolutely unwilling to look within for a solution. In fact they will let nothing bring them to the point where they submit to a journey of self discovery.

Anything going deeper than the evening news or the plot of the Sex And The City movie is taboo for the majority of our civilization. Staying as shallow and clueless as possible about all matters of the self and spirit is imperative it seems.

And thus, the suffering on a mass scale will continue. I’ve resolved not to let it bother me as much as it once did.

My task is my own self. And if it’s true the world I observe is really within me I should set to work on creating the vision I want, knowing the people in my world will benefit from this work.

In my mind there is no higher calling than an inward journey. The Tao Te Ching, Proverbs, and many other ancient texts compare the outward strength required to conquer armies with the inner power needed to master the self and say pointedly the latter power is the greatest.

By knowing the self we can know the ways of the Universe. For thousands of years humanity has known the meaning of life, and still it remains hidden in plain sight.

By making self discovery the most important part of your life journey you will leave the petty problems of modern society behind and become one with a higher purpose. It won’t matter what appears to happen on the face of the outer illusion, and in time the outer will conform to your inner vision.

Imagine a world where everyone took full responsibility for knowing his or her self and transforming that self into it’s highest aspiration. Such a transformation takes place on an individual scale, one mind at a time.