What Has Been Your Experience With Self-help Or Personal Development Books?

I had just joined the medical college. I shifted from my home city to the place where the college was located. In those initial days, I was feeling very home sick. I had never stayed away from my home anytime before that.

Just to kill some time and to get rid of home-sick feeling, I left my hostel room, and was wandering around a railway station. I don’t remember now, how and why I was attracted to a bookstall near the railway station.

Not knowing what to look for, I just started going through various magazines placed in one of the shelves of the bookstall.

Suddenly my eyes saw and read ‘Awaken the giant within‘ – a book by Anthony Robbins. I could not make sense at that time what was it all about, and did not bother to read even the subheading of the book. I just got hooked on it. I think I was blank and then, something inside me asked the bookstall-man to give me the book, so that I could see what it contained.

I scanned through various pages and decided to buy it. That was my first ever bought Self-help Book!

Since then I started visiting book-stalls (mainly those near railways stations and bus stops, I don’t know why??). I never missed vising those stalls, and purchasing at least one book, every time I would travel to and back from my home city.

Frankly speaking, I could not read any of those books from start to finish. Every time I started with any book, I continued for few pages from various chapters, felt good about it, got some insight and then kept the book in my collection. Before I could realize, my collection started growing like a book shop itself!

Sometimes I thought that I was addicted to just buying books, and as I was not reading them completely, I was wasting money after them! Although I thought that way, my habit of collecting them continued and it still goes on.

What I now understand that I continued buying and collecting various books as I was getting needed information from each of them. Although I did not read any of those fully, every one of them has contributed in some way in my personal growth.

This may be true for many. I don’t know. You tell me your experience.

Today, I am happy 🙂 to have lots of books (Personal Development and Self-help related, of course!) in my Clinic’s library.

I have found various books to be helpful at specific stages of my developmental journey. Even today, when I am looking for something, I just stand in front of my library cabinet, and I will be guided to a book that will provide me with what I am looking for.

Now a days, I explore books on my hTC Desire phone. I have installed Amazon Kindle application and read Ebooks inside it. I also prefer listening to various audio books. I have an account with Audible and its related application in my phone.

I have understood from my experience that I can absorb only for which I am ready. I may have inclination for various topics and so may get tempted to buy those books, but they will make sense to me only when I am ready for the content inside them. I have now no regret for my habit of collecting books!

I am eager to know you opinions and experiences related to this post content.

Do you prefer to read some specific types of books? If yes, what are they? Share your comments below.

Dr. Sudeep Shroff
Books Collector

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4 thoughts on “What Has Been Your Experience With Self-help Or Personal Development Books?”

  1. hi sudeep, it’s true for all of us i think….i have same experience like you for buying books and not reading it whole….but truely speaking when time comes to clean my bookshelf, i can not remove them at all and suddenly my reading desires awakes!!!!!! and disappears till more few months…..but as like you many times few examples i quotes to someone where from that bookshelf only and may be the only one page from which i have gone through…….i think habit of reading is good for a whole life and specially retired life……….And for reading you have to buy it….so ultimately buying a book is also a good habit….

  2. Yes Dr.Sudeep same kind of experience with the books.. excellent…knowing is good..but application is more important…that helps a lot…
    now If you choose You may do some of courses like “The landmark Forum” or You may attend “Vippassana ” meditation shibir You will grow like anything….. ………

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