Okay, technically, I'm going to talk about Self-Help Parrots, because really, there is no help--self or otherwise--for Parrot Heads, except for maybe seeing Jimmy Buffett live in concert, which I did last week!
The arena was packed with 14,000 fans, and from the roar of us singing along, it was clear that most of us knew the songs by heart. Yes, we knew the words and could sing along, but we hadn't lived the life it took to be able to write those songs. No matter how many song lyrics we memorized, unless we all changed our lives to fit the words--and gained our own insights and wisdom in the process--we were destined to be parrots.
I'm good with that. I don't pretend I know what he knows or have experienced what he's experienced. But in the self-improvement area, a lot of people do just that. We read and study and think we have it all figured out and are happy to share our newfound certainties of how life is.
You probably know some folks who always have the perfect solution for every problem. They rattle off their pearls of wisdom with conviction and confidence, certain they know what's best for someone else. But do they really? Are they a walking example of how they've transformed their own lives or are they just self-help parrots?
In my experience, the more someone is certain they know what's best for you, the less likely it is that they actually do--and odds are they aren't a living example of their own grand advice either. I know I certainly learned the words to say long before I could live them. I was a deliberate Parrot Head and an unwitting parrot.
People who have lived past the parrot stage know they don't have absolute answers for anyone else--they can't. They can offer an objective assessment of the situation and provide suggestions accordingly based on the information available and their own experiences. But, they can't ever know everything you know--about you or your situation--and they won't assume they do. They aren't there to tell you what to do, but help you find your own solutions, because those are the only ones that ever work anyway.
As Jimmy Buffett sings in Great Heart, "The world is full of strange behavior. Every man has to be his own savior."
So, be patient with the Self-Help Parrots--and yourself. We can talk a good game long before we can actually live it.
Cheers! PS: I posted some photos of the concert on my Facebook page if you want to take a peek.
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Paula Renaye is a motivational speaker and Winner of Four National Book Awards for her no-nonsense personal development guide, The Hardline Self Help Handbook. Whether it is a relationship, career or health challenge, Hardline guides you step by step to your own solutions. http://hardlineselfhelp.com
What you might not know is that Paula is also a literary-award-winning mystery author as well, writing as Paula Boyd. The first book in the Jolene Jackson Mystery Series, Hot Enough to Kill, is currently ranked #20 In Mystery Women Sleuths on Kindle and #381 in the entire Kindle Store. It's only 99 cents so get your copy now!
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