The real Self help

 These days its tragic to be a loser ...says Author Alain De botton in his book School of Life. 

The self- help industry driven by many new-age gurus, resonates success only from the perspective of materialistic aspects - money , rank, position and fame.

while this is not entirely wrong ,this one dimensional success view, leads to a distorted picture of the reality. Success is treated as a binary- winner or loser. If you win, no matter at what cost,  you are celebrated and vice versa.

Rather the real  self-help should enable us to think about 

1.Helping us to know our fickle minds

2. Find our purpose

3. Connect meaningfully with others

4. Achieve intervals of composure and acceptance 

Subhash Chandra Bose , one of India's greatest freedom fighters had this daily routine: A practice of self-analysis at the end of each day:

This analysis would be of two kinds.

 First , the analysis of himself at that point in time : know more about hidden desires, impulses and aspirations. 

Second, analysis of the whole life  : to reflect about past struggles,  errors of the past and thereby draw conclusions of the future. 

Bose says that this analyses throws a a powerful searchlight into the dark inner recesses of our own mind with a view to knowing yourself better.

 The moment I found something ignoble or unworthy within me I half- conquered it!