Self-help as an industry is full of lies, myths, and dangers. It’s a community of experts and everyday consumers that have techniques and ways of living to heal anxiety, treat depression, and generally improve the quality of life.

Self-help is the act of improving yourself without reliance on others. It extends beyond motivation books and popular psychology to include other ways humans communicate. There’s forums, everyday conversations, seminars, webinars, and books.

The term “self-help junkie” was coined to describe someone who attends seminars and buys many books, DVDs, and CDs on the subject. Junkies fuel the $8 billion dollar industry in America alone.

Self-help addicts are sometimes like heroin addicts jumping between experts wanting their next fix. The educational sources become a source of comfort and security to avoid what really is going on as they intellectualize lessons and never build the learning only possible from action. This article reveals the harsh reality about this dangerous industry that some gurus wish you didn’t know. … Click to continue reading →

Posted on Thursday, March 18, 20105 Comments

Poor email etiquette. You’re a victim of it – perhaps you’re a guilty criminal. From unknown abbreviations, forwarded chain emails, and unwanted messages, we’re all affected by bad email etiquette.

The number of untrained email users is staggering. Former Chief Solutions Officer of Yahoo! Tim Sanders estimates that 90% of business communication is email based and only 10% of email users receive adequate training. When this statistic is combined with data from a market research firm Radicati Group who say the 1.2 billion email users in 2007 will increase to 1.6 billion in 2011, an estimate of 1.44 billion people will be untrained in email by 2011. Your workplace and business likely suffers from poor email etiquette – and it isn’t going to get better anytime soon unless you doing something about it with the rules of email etiquette in this article.

Good Netiquette

Email etiquette, commonly referred to as “netiquette”, defines the rules of email communication. Netiquette is important because an email sent cannot be retrieved. You cannot reach through the computer cables to retrieve an email sent to your boss in a regretful emotional outlash where you swore to destroy his dictatorship.

Though you probably hate the thought of writing a grammatically correct email to a friend, netiquette in everyday email communication helps clarity, understanding, and productivity. Your emails will get the proper understanding they deserve. From having the right mindset when seated, to sending an email, here are the most important netiquette rules to follow so you’re one of the 160 million users in 2011 that know what they’re doing when they check their inbox: … Click to continue reading →

Posted on Friday, December 12, 200812 Comments

This is a book review of Neil Strauss’ The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists.

The Game is a truly fantastic read. Author Neil Strauss takes the reader through his life changing transformation from geek to woman-magnet. You follow his exciting tales as he starts out as not confident, shy, passive, and an introverted writer for The New York Times who within two years becomes one of the world’s greatest pick-up artists (PUAs).

A pick-up artist is a man who goes out and attracts women with his tremendous communication skills. … Click to continue reading →

Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008No Comments

This is a book review of Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values.

I do a lot of reading books, listening to CDs, and watching DVDs on topics related to communication. Prior to investing in my self-education, I research the sources worth learning from so I don’t waste my time studying garbage. Even when I frequently choose the best material and devour it, I have discovered a select few that stand above the rest. I’ve stumbled upon few books that I refer to as a must-must-read for everybody. Nonviolent Communication is one of those rare books every person needs to read because of its advice to help the reader build empathy and understanding. … Click to continue reading →

Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008One Comment