Self Improvement Checkpoint: Don’t believe Everything that you Read

Are you one of those people who gets motivated, excited, or educated about the things that you read? Well I certainly hope so since you are reading my blog right now, but I also want to put up the caution flag, because not everything that you read is going to steer you in the right direction!

One of the great things about the Internet is that anyone can be a writer, and for people with talent and/or knowledge that is worth sharing, that freedom is great. However, there are also people who don't have much writing talent, or much knowledge to share, but that isn't stopping them from writing!

Now, don't get me wrong. I would never tell someone not to express themselves just because they don't have a writing degree, or because they don't have a plaque hanging on their wall from some prestigious university. I have neither myself, yet the things that I write tend to be worth reading, or at least that's what I've been told.

The trick here is to read information and run it through the filters of your own experiences. Just because one person has a certain point of view doesn't mean that you necessarily need to agree with it just because you found it written on some blog, website, message board, or an offline publication.

For example, I got this quote in my email this morning, credited originally to Elizabeth Taylor:

"It's not the having, it's the getting."

Okay, I'll buy that. Life is a journey, not a destination, and all of that. I agree. However, at the same time, it is ALSO the having. I have a wonderful set of circumstances that are in the process of coming into my life right now, and the "getting" part of the end result of those circumstances is certainly enjoyable. It's exciting and exhilarating even!

Nonetheless, I have no intention of getting to the end result and then not enjoying that result when it gets here! That's like going out and buying a new computer, or iPod, or big-screen TV, but then never using it. That doesn't make any sense to me. 

So, referring back to the quote about about focusing on the "getting" rather than the "having," that quote does not resonate with me. Just because Elizabeth Taylor originally said it does not mean that I need to agree with it.

As you go through your day to day and week to week routines of reading things online, getting motivational quotes via email, or reading empowering books or magazines, allow yourself to take in all of the incredible feelings of empowerment, motivation, and courage that those types of media can bring you.

However, for every phrase, sentence, saying, or axiom that crosses your path, ask yourself if YOU believe those words. If you do, then run with it. If not, don't be afraid to kick it to the curb! 

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