Self Matters

I am reading a book that my parents gave Ryun and I for Christmas called, "Self Matters". The book is by Dr. Philip McGraw, known to people everywhere as "Dr. Phil" or "Dr Tell It Like It Is". Fans of the Oprah Winfrey show see him regularly on Tuesday afternoons when, he guest stars on Oprah answering questions from the audience and viewers at home. He has written a few other books including, "Life Strategies","The Life Strategies Workbook" (both of which I have read) and "Relationship Rescue". Always on a quest to improve myself or my life, I have read, or attempted to read numereous self help books but with the exception of maybe a couple, I have never been able to get interested in them enough to finish. Dr. Phil's books are a completely different story so to speak. His writing style is so "in your face" and down to earth it would be almost impossible not to finish, even if just for the sheer curiousity of seeing what he will write next. Reading his books give you the feeling of being there with him, as if you were having a face to face conversation.

"Self Matters" is about geting in touch with the "real" you and not just the you that everyone expects you to be. It talks about how key decisions in your life have gotten you to wherever you are today, about how important it is to have a passion for who you are and what you are doing, and how certain life experiences have given you a set of beliefs about yourself, be them good or bad. It describes methods of "reconnecting" with your "authentic" self. The book also tells you how to stop living for everyone else and how to stand up for yourself.

Sure, there are plenty of books out there that do the same thing as "Self Matters" but, no one does it like Dr. Phil. His plain, every day terminology is a welcome break from the usual "psycho-babble" of other self help books His ideas are genuine. He speaks from experience and really gives the reader a feeling of empowerment, a feeling that they can get to wherever they are going and do so with some ease.