I have read many self-help books, success principle books and life-hack advices. Western culture is somewhat (quite) different from Japanese culture I grew up in, and I read these books to figure out "how it works" in the US.
Once you go through certain volumes, there is a point at which you notice that they are telling you the same things over and over. There are certain sets of behaviors that likely give you success, and other sets that likely fail you or do disservice to you.
Then, why don't we just do the positive stuff?
Unfortunately, as I notice, there are so many negative notions or concepts that conflict with the positive stuff. We pick them up while we grow up. I call them "Negative apps".
The terminology is coming from computer, obviously. When a computer has some issues, a troubleshooting IT guy starts looking for programs and apps that interfere with the main operating system. Once he can identify the conflict, he can uninstall the conflicting program or app. The entire system operates better afterwards.
I think this applies to us people, too.
Once you notice your own "Negative apps", efforts for uninstalling them should follow. It is an act of self-help.
It's not complicated. It is simple. An example would be: unless you uninstall "Money is evil" belief (a negative app), it is unlikely for you to take actions to make money. That kind of things.
If you simplify people's behavior in this way, you can interpret our behavior in different ways.
An example would be religious conversion. Sometimes people get so stressed out from their lives and feel current operating system is not working out at all. They attempt to get rid of old operating system entirely, and install something new that works better (so they think). That is my take for the desperate Born Agains. For the modest or cultural Born Agains, it may not apply.
In case of Born Agains, the new operating system is relatively well-pre-formatted, with established dogmas, other users and installation assistants and all.
Another way for change is a paradigm shift. You try to change your perception to the world, or to a particular subject. Many eastern religions and philosophies advocate this approach. Paradigm shift may or may not be a change as drastic as Born Agains. But it is a way to bring changes in a deeper level.
Sometimes it is helpful to act like a troubleshooting IT guy for yourself. Identify Negative apps and uninstall them. I too had (or still have) some negative apps. But after I started thinking this way, it has been easier for me to see myself more objectively and to identify the apps operating in me.
Try to find your apps. It is fun, surprisingly.
