Self-help vs Personal Development
On 27 October 2022, I met a wonderful gentle-man called Jim Murphy. Jim is a well-known Catholic lay Teacher and Preacher of God’s word in the United States. In fact one interesting fact about him is that, in 1992, he was inspired by the American Bishops’ letter on Heritage and Hope. Therefore, Jim undertook a 4200-mile (6759km) journey on foot across America, carrying a six-foot cross in an effort of prayer and evangelization. The journey took eighteen months… and fourteen pairs of shoes! Wow… Isn’t this an amazing demonstration of faith and courage? Despite this and many other achievements, Jim is a very down-to-earth person. Jim is very conversational and he likes to ask questions. So during one episode of our conversations, a few days later, as I shared with him about my Coaching practice, he asked me a question, “In your opinion, what is the distinction between Self-help and Personal Development?” I responded to him by saying: “Self-help is when an individual embarks ...