When you’re interested in a subject it’s easy to collect all sorts of information about it.  For virtually everything there are lots of books, audios and dvd’s all promising to further your knowledge.  There are groups and associations, magazines, newsletters and products to buy.  And of course it’s easy to get lost surfing the net for hours looking for more information.

The problem is that you can get so lost in the research that you never actually get out there and do the thing you’re studying about.  So you collect all this great information, file it away for later, and do nothing.  That’s called “shelf help.”  And while some information is certainly good, collecting stuff and putting it away (sometimes without even reading or listening to it) can actually take you farther away from achieving your dreams.

Why?  Because you’ve put so much time and energy into collecting the material that you may confuse that with actually doing the thing you’re researching.

“Self help” in contrast is proactive.  It is taking a piece of information, discerning weather it rings true for you or not and then integrating it into your life.  You still do research and you probably collect some material but you use that as a springboard to take action.

Taking action is the difference between shelf help and self help.

Yes, you can opt for shelf help, but if you do your dreams will stay right there on the shelf with all those dusty books.  By choosing self help you’ll eventually be able to pass those books on because you’ll have grown beyond what they have to offer and be living your dreams instead of merely dreaming them.

Which would you rather do?