My addiction to personal development started small, just like my issues with substance abuse. I didn’t think getting stoned on the weekends in high school would turn into a 13-year lifestyle of binge drinking and excess. In the same vein, I didn’t think that reading self-help books would lead to a three-year downward spiral of searching for “the best possible version of myself.”
Vision and goal setting was my gateway drug to the world of personal development. I was working for a retail company that focused heavily on the importance of writing down goals. It was actually part of our job to maintain an updated list of goals we were working toward. I was still drinking at the time. One of the first goals I wrote down was “Have a healthy relationship with alcohol.” At one point, all the employees were given a copy of Matthew Kelly’s The Rhythm of Life. I read it quickly, highlighting the talking points I was eager to discuss with co-workers.
“I was instantly hooked on finding what was wrong with me and then changing it.”
That book changed my life — but not necessarily in a good way. Kelly often referred to “the best possible version of yourself” throughout the book. What a lovely thought. I’d like to be the best version of me. That mentality, paired with my addictive personality, was toxic. I was instantly hooked on finding what was wrong with me and then changing it.
It’s nothing against Kelly or his book. There are tons of people out there who can read a self-help book, have a few moments of clarity and then go about their lives. I couldn’t do that. I read to change myself with the same tenacity that I drank to get drunk.
Click here to read the full article on RecoveryCampus.com.
Photo Credit: Diego Lopez
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