The Scam Of Self Transformation

They're everywhere.  There are thousands of would-be gurus, life coaches, revealers of new techniques, New Age formulators of ways to help you empower yourself, to get what you really want out of life.  They're all offering you a way out of your problems.  Everything will be fine if you follow the Eleven Laws of Committment, or the Seven Ways of Tai-Fen, or The Secret's True Secret At The Heart Of The True Secret's Truest Secret.

            Relationships, Money, Health.  Those are the holy trinity upon which are based the promises of the Salesmen of Miraculous Change.  These salesmen will show you how to cut through the knot of your obstacles, how to rid yourself of the Negative Energies that have been keeping success at bay. For only $75, or $350, or whatever amount applies, you can purchase the Program.  You'll receive your DVD, The Book, and maybe a T-shirt or a coffee mug.  There are essential accessories, like tuning forks and magic water and The Program doesn't really work unless you have these gizmos to enhance your Chi.  Gee.  If you follow the techniques diligently, the mess of your life will clear up very soon, maybe in a few months.  You might start to see change immediately!  Your life will begin to work for you!

            Are people THAT miserable?

            Yes.  A lot of people are.

            Many, too many people are sick and stressed out.  We've been hooked on the Happiness Con  our entire lives.  It got cooked into The American Dream.   It means different things to different people but those of us beyond a certain age have a veritable cellular expectation that the Good Times are going to roll.  Our lives are supposed to be Fulfilling.  That's written into the contract.  Isn't it?

          Now that it hasn't worked out the way we planned we're in a state of shock.  How did our lives get so fucked up?  We were supposed to be happy, we were guaranteed a life of abundance so long as we got our degrees and certificates as we went around the track.   We were also expected to be "nice".  We weren't supposed to make Bad Karma.

            Bad Karma happened anyway.  We chose the wrong partners, made dumb business decisions and indulged in escapist activities.  Whoops!

            I call this state of affairs Human Life.   Some of us are more messed up than others, it's true, but the bedrock reality is that everything is a mess.  I'm not saying that we can't and shouldn't work on our characters.  I'm not saying we can't or shouldn't put compassion into action on the stage of life.  I'm not saying that miracles don't happen. Clearly they do.  Big ones and little ones.  The world is filled with miracles, the world IS a miracle.  It's just that the world is also a mess.  How are we supposed to live in a messed up world without being ourselves messed up?

            I believe that most of the Self Empowerment carpetbaggers are sincere.  They really believe their own schtick.  They're selling books,  DVDs and T-shirts.  They have followers.  People attend their seminars.   I can't help wondering if, deep down in the ooze of their suppressed Negative Energy, they don't have a little twinge of guilt.  Nah, probably not.  Ninety nine percent of their followers, or consumers, are failing to transform their lives.  They're still overweight, or single, overwhelmed with financial problems,  fighting with a partner or confused by the demands of parenthood.  Hence they sign up for the Advanced Course.

            The Self Transformation Industry is just that, an industry.  It's loaded with hyperbolic advertising.  If you want to transform yourself, it will happen organically.  All you need to do is aim your intention and cooperate with your own life.  Good things will happen, and bad things will happen.  Usually it's the pain that does the most transforming.