ME TO WE! - turning self-help on its head.

So I'm reading this book right now, that we recieved at work many months back, I don't know what made me start reading it, but it's the most interesting book I have ever read. It touches on so many subjects that peak my interest and many of the ideas are things that I have always believed. Written by two brothers (Craig and Marc Kielburger) in their twenties from Toronto who founded the renowned international relief organization Free the Children.

Some key points that I have read so far, and that I can remember off the top of my head are:

- Self-help books have become the literature of our time, however most of these books promote goals such as money, power and physical attractiveness as the keys to happiness. They also have one thing in common "what's good for me" So many people are disconnecting from society, and not forming relationships with others. A lot of us are now relying on money, power and material objects thinking this will lead to happiness when for the most part we are often left feeling empty and wanting more. This book, in a way is just sort of saying that with self help, it's not just about helping yourself. By helping others, you will in turn be helping yourself.

- It discusses how we have become so focused on winning and succeeding that we will do whatever it takes to win, no matter who we have to step on in the process. Most of us feel no remorse for the 'losers' as long as we have achieved what it was we set out to do. Now you're probably thinking shit, it's my life and I have to look out for myself, and yeah that's true to a certain extent, but there is no need to trample others just so you can get the golden ticket!

- The bystander effect - this is so true in so many ways, we are becoming more and more removed from the people around us. A tragic example of this would be Catherine Genovese's story. NYC, 1964, Catherine is raped and stabbed outside of her appartment building one night. Apparently 38 of her neighbours heard her scream for help, "I've been stabbed, please help me." Not one person came out to help. Finally a neighbour appeared with a baseball bat and scared the perpetrator away, but even he left Catherine on the ground bleeding and dying. When the coast was clear the murderer returned and finished the job he had started. The police weren't called until the attack was over and Catherine was dead. Some say we choose to be bystanders because we want to stay out of other people's business, or we think that someone else will take action, but when we're all thinking the same thing, then nobody does anything.
A quote taken from this book, are the famous words of German Anti-Nazi activist, Pastor Martin Niemoller,
"First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out-because I was not a jew. They they came for the communists and I did not speak out- because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out-because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me-and by then there was no one left to speak out for me."

- So ya the book has nothing to do about religion or spirituality, it's basically just about how important it is to stay connected with eachother, friends, family, our communities and by helping others, we are in fact helping ourselves achieve happiness. I am only about 50 pages into the book, but I think it's really neat. It disusses how 98% of people have televisions and that most of us spend so much time watching tv rather than interacting with others. We spend so much time watching 'friends' rather than making friends. Or 52% of children ages 4-7 years old would prefer to watch tv than hang out with their father. Also that we have moved away from meeting people on a more personal level, (face to face conversations), that we are going online and having cyber conversations, or communicating through email which lacks emotion and human contact. I understand the convenience aspect of all of this, but I would much rather hear Erinne's crazy laughs when she finds something funny, than see the letters LOL appear on my screen. Just doesn't have the same effect on me.

I'm probably going to be posting more about this book in the days to come, so bare with me. Maybe you will agree with some of my points of interest and maybe you wont. I have always had the urge to help others, and have always tried my best to do so. These days I wonder if I have the right kind of personality to make it in the business world, or if I would be better suited for something else.