Sally and Joanne were two very good friends. They were both very hardworking and determined to get ahead. They shared many similar traits. Among the most profound was that Sally was interested in improving herself. Joanne too was interested but she would never detour from old fashioned methods such as mugging at her notes and making even more notes. She found the going tough and many times she would drop off from her projects and resolutions.

Sally, on the other hand, was always on the lookout for new and improved ways for self-improvement. It was definitely a path less travelled but she knew that if she could not get that support she would be like Joanne, always dropping off because the going was too uphill.

Sally signed up for a few online programs and learnt new methods of self improvement. Using methods such as creating affirmations, goals, hypnosis and learning the secrets from people who have made it in life she managed to complete her honours degree in psychology despite her physical handicap. She also managed to achieve many goals that she had initially thought she could never achieve. For example, she managed to improve her long standing chronic illness, something that the doctors had given up.

Using the techniques that she had learnt online, the answers to seemingly impossible situations would somehow come. She felt so much happier and she radiated joy and hope in her relationships. This augured well for her future development as a manager in her department. She was at that time only an administrative assistant.

Joanne, on the other hand felt that it was a waste of money to study things online. She referred to them collectively as 'scams'. So she struggled through her career and never made much progress in life. She was not suffering in any way but if you could use a yardstick of measurement to compare and contrast the developments of these two young women, it was just too obvious that Sally had made great strides. You must remember that she was suffering from a long history of joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis to be exact and had great difficulty moving about and using her hands.

Joanne saw the changes in Sally and decided to go for it after all. She realised that self-improvement was the first move anybody serious about making advancements in life should consider. She also remembered what her psychologist friend shared with her about the importance of one’s mind and attitude that was crucial in the final outcome of any situation. You see, years of being put down by teachers, parents and even perhaps friends, we are generally negative about our capabilities. We have an underlying fear of failure. This has impacted and impeded the individual. Therefore a new corollary of regaining our self-esteem was essential. Indeed, it is a precursor for all good things.