Diary of a Self-Help Junkie

Going through life's challenges, as we all do, the author was drawn to reading self-help writers in order to find suggestions on how to rise above the physiological issues she was dealing with while going through a divorce and her feelings of unworthiness. She discovered that self-help is not a one size fits all. Over a 30 year period, Marianne has studied the writings of Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, and the Hay House community authors. She has also taken “A Course in Miracles”. In all this she was looking for a magic bullet. She discovered that there is none. She learned instead that all one has to do is develop the skill to be able to control one's own thinking.

The motivational, inspirational buzz lasts only a few days. She discovered that you must become your own therapist to find the areas that have blocked you from living fully in the present. She became her own project of joy. She taught herself to meditate, connect with nature, use a mantram, and journal her discoveries to bring herself into the present moment to become the witness of the events that were transpiring in her life. When life dishes out ailing parents, adult children issues, business challenges, etc, one can decide to crumble under the hardships or rise above them. By having techniques to fall back on, she was able to pull herself up daily to handle the everyday challenges. Being an advocate of help thyself, Marianne continues to focus on what is positive in the world; by writing down her thoughts, she is able to identify old patterns of thought. She has discovered that writing is a valuable tool for healing negative emotions. She is a diarist who realizes the value of knowing oneself through self-inquiry.