TALK DOESN'T COOK RICE

Talk doesn't cook rice.
--Chinese proverb
I've seen many so called Chinese proverbs and never leave a Chinese restaurant without checking inside the fortune cookie.
I have never seen a truer statement than the title of this blog. Talk doesn't do a lot of things, including making major changes in life. I know I tried to talk my way through change; I didn't want personal help and direction, let alone do hard work on myself!
Some of us are crazy about self-help books, inspirational tapes, and personal improvement seminars. We'll buy or sign up for anything, whatever the price, if it promises revolutionary insights or a foolproof new system. We want relief in a day and deliverance in a weekend. And we want the expert of the hour to do it for us. I couldn't tell you how many I've met and worked with; several who had the best "self-help" book and tape libraries in the world. Funny how similar the messages are (there's not much new or revolutionary) yet how without hard work, often assisted by a "coachly" push, all the information in the world changes nothing.
I've got to admit, I loved the Olympics. There were some incredible performances and so many personal bests. Ever wonder how many of these were achieved by just talking or reading a book (CD, tape)? Did they just "wish" themselves to great results?
There's nothing wrong with wishing, of course. But there's a lot wrong with kidding ourselves as a way of life. Think about it: If progress could be bought, we wouldn't need to be meditating. If personal transformation resulted from collecting new ideas, we'd have been transformed long ago. Exploring is great. And looking for all the inspiration and wisdom we can find is necessary for growth. But changing is doing. All the plans and schemes for improvement put together won't change a thing if we don't put the principles into daily practice. Even catchy words are just words. There is no substitution for action.
Need a prod and some push? Get a coach. Everyone needs help, needs to be heard, and helped to set and reach goals. Everyone needs ACTION.