How To Introduce Someone To Personal Developement?

[TimStr]

It was over 3 years ago, when I got introduced to self-actualization coincidentally. I watched one of Leo's videos (I think it was "How to deal with a break-up") and that immediately rang a bell in me and made me recognize that digging into this topic could change my life. And it did, in many ways and made me become the self-help junkie, that I am now. I am highly driven by this topic and I want to share it, because I see how much peoples lifes would improve.

I don't consider becoming a professional coach, I just want to help along my friends, family and other people in my life. In my opinion, the two best ways for me to do that are:

1. becoming the best version of myself and being an inspiration for others
2. introduce them to personal delvelopement in order to help them for self-help

I want to find a way, that really "sells" the concept of self improvement to them in a way, that makes it stick to them and their lifes just like it happened to me. I'm not really sure though, how I can accomplish that. Here are a few of my ideas:

• showing them a specific video of Leo's, like
  • How to stop being a victim
  • The most important commitment
  • ...
• giving a book to them, like
  • Lennard: Mastery
  • Hendricks: The Big Leap
  • ...
• just briefly talk to them and tell my own experiences and tell them how to start

What do you think? What is the most successful way to inspire people to get deep into personal developement?

Sidenote: I am aware of the fact that personal developement may not be for everybody, and that I might not be successful. I just want to find the one, most powerful, way to talk about this topic with others, that has the potential to really get them hooked.

[Man in the Mirror]

I try not to directly tell my friends to try out self-help (even if I only had good intentions), because they might interpret that as me judging them and implying they have problems that they need to fix right now.

Therefore, I think your first method is the best: leading by example. i am not an expert, but in my mind this is what i would personally respond the best to.

When people change, it's because they wanted to change. Look at your own experience as an example. You made the realization that personal development was a worthy subject to spend your time and energy on. You recognized the lasting benefits. You did that on your own. You were ready at that time, and that's when you were able to take it on.

Not everyone is ready for it yet. That's why I think leading by example is a great way to introduce it to them, without forcing it on them. When I see my friends I ask them what they've been up to, what they've been working on, etc. Then when they ask me the same, I could tell them about the self help ideas I've been trying to implement in my life, the books I've been reading, the things I learned from my last counseling session, etc. They might ask how I got into these things, and I'll tell them a couple reasons. Maybe it was "i have x y and z, but I was still unhappy, and wanted to figure out why", or "I didnt like how i used to always react to X a certain way, so i wanted to work on that", or simply "i wanted to improve my relationship with _____". Then they might identify with some of those reasons, or they might relate it to something in their life. They might see how you have grown. If they have the desire to grow, then they might begin to see the benefits of self help.

I will then recommend books and videos only when they have shown interest in a certain area of self help.

again, i'm not an expert. this might not produce the results as fast as you'd like. This is just my opinion of what I think i would respond best to.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Man in the Mirror

[Isle of View]

@TimStr

when you want to help people evolve, there is actually no "one size fits all" precept to do so.

All people are pretty unique, have their own "thing" going on in their life, their own dreams, visions and desires for or perspectives on life.

First thing I would recommend is to work to recognize what people in your environment are actually interested in, what the "game" is that they're playing, what role they want to have or improve in their life. And take it from there. If you think you can help them with that, great. 

If you have a good feeling for the people in your environment and have good skills in communication, you can actually work out with them what it is that they are pursuing and sometimes this alone will help them enormously. 

Later on you will increse your "knowledge base" and will have more and more methods you could suggest to them, or books you could suggest them to read in their specific situation.

It all starts with a willingness to help and learn in the process. The beauty of the task is the variety of uniqeness you will encounter as you meet more and more people from all walks of life.

 

Kind regards, 
Chris