What I learned about Entrepreneurship & Self Help (my story)

So where do i begin...

I would like to start by giving a brief introduction into who i am. My name is Tahj Simmons, im a freelance Photographer and writer based in West palm beach, fl, and for the Past 4 years of my life i have been consumed in the self help niche. I read all kinds of books and materials , attended live seminars and webinars, and audios on this type of material. This is a complete analaysis on my personal experience in what i have learned from the genre of "Self-help". My intention is to be as completely transparent as possible. Lastly, I hope this gives a new perspective on a well known Topic.

My Story

In the summer of 2018, i started working at a Direct sales agency (for privacy reasons i wont name them) While working at this agency i saw the true side of Entreprenuerilsm. We would have network calls every wednesday with other offices, and i would hear, that this person made $1,000 in one day, and this office is doing a wire of 200k this week, and more glamorous things like this. Deep down I really felt like this wasn't real. I believed that this kind of money didnt really exist, and I really felt out of place and i didnt believe that i was capable of fitting in and doing the same as those other individuals.

Every day after the field, (doing sales for the day) I would notice how my no matter how hard i worked to hit my numbers , it seemed very difficult to hit my standard which was 3 customers/ 3 sales. Some days I would go all out and even skip lunch, (this was how determined i was to be successful and to make it) but still i would end up with my average 2 customers signed up.

i would notice how my manager would always walk into the office, like he just knew that I hadnt achieved my goals. This destroyed me inside. So i decided to find out what was the reason why i felt so inadequet, I knew that i didnt know what else to do, and that my life was falling to pieces. This led me to Self help.

I watched youtube video, after youtube video, on self development, in hope that i could find something that would put me on the right track.

As months went by, I found myself getting deeper and deeper into this material. I would begin to feel a sense of boost in confidence, and motivation, after everything that i did. So I started believing that things were changing in my life. i would instantly get a boost of accomplishment from cleaning my room, and waking up early, and taking cold showers, and etc.

After a couple months of doing this the reality set in. I had become hyperfocused on success and the end result that, I wasn't taking care of myself. I had become so malnourished because i wasnt eating that i actually lost over 40 pounds. I was so stressed that my bladder was overactive. I was sleep deprived, Overexhausted mentally and physically.

On top of all this overexhertion, I still couldnt understand the never-ending riddle of self-help.

I realized then in that moment I would never go to work for anyone ever again, and I would'nt let anyone put a cap on what I could do or achieve no matter who they were. So i quit and never looked back since.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SELF HELP?

So the reason I am sharing my story is because, I know whats its like to feel compelled to seek validation from people, hoping they would say I was good enough. It's because of other people's opinions of myself that has caused me to seek out my own validation through self help material

when the truth was within me all along.

There was'nt anything wrong with me from the beginning, I just started to believe that there was based on external situations, and other peoples irrelavent opinions of me.

CONCLUSION

Self help books are very good information, and I would highly recommend. Its important to understand this Truth first and foremost:

1.You aren't broken and there isnt anything wrong with you

2. Other peoples gratification is not the standard you should strive for.

3. Dont Stress yourself, if you aren't where you want to be. It doesnt help get you closer, it only makes things worse, so relax.

(number 3 is the hardest one for me to do)

In our society, Self-help has become a rigid ideology of retired navy veterans and entreprenuers alike. Self help has become entirely saturated with this type of material that it has lost its true meaning, but there are still good materials out there. and above all we dont need to be more tressed when life is hard enough.