The 'Queen of Self-Help'

Do you want to improve your life? If so, you're in the right place. But "upgrading" might not be what you think it is, when it comes to a changed life.

You might even wonder, "Why Upgrade?" Let me explain how Upgrade with Dawn came about. [NOTE: Bio is at the end.]

I used to call myself “The Queen of Self-Help.” I read my first self-help book at age 14,  Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I devoured self-help books, looking for secrets to power and prestige.

As I wrote in a tract published by Vineworks Publishers - "The Queen of Self-Help Needs Help!" - self-help books became my “fix.” They made me feel good. Whenever I took their counsel and failed, I sank into depression, unable to move forward until the next self-help book came along. Although their counsel motivated me and made me feel good for a while, I couldn’t find answers to some core questions:  Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I headed? And what do I want to do with my life?

You’re probably a lot like me—a busy, capable woman who wants to feel better about yourself and your life. You’re likely already doing a great job, but you want to take things up a notch. Upgrade Your Life can help you do just that, but I want you to understand from the start, this is not about self-help.

In the words of Elyse M. Fitzpatrick:

"True Christianity is not a program of self-improvement; it's an acknowledgment that something more than self-improvement is needed."

The problem with typical self-help is, while experts may offer good advice and teach positive character development and life skills, it’s all about self! God is left out of the picture. Self-help tends to cultivate independence from God, and much of it can lead to unbiblical thinking. 

Many people quote Proverbs 3:5-6:  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

But how many of us know verse seven? The writer of Proverbs warns,

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

One day I realized that I was functioning as a woman who was "wise" in her own eyes. I desperately needed God’s help, not more self-help.

• I needed to know and embrace His wisdom, not the seeming "wisdom" of the world, which can so often contradict scripture.
• I needed to lay aside self-effort and cooperate more fully with the grace-filled work of God in my life.
• And instead of striving so hard to cultivate more self-confidence, I needed to count on who I am in Christ. I needed to develop God-confidence.

The amazing thing is, as I seek God and obey His Word - Timeless Wisdom for Today's Woman - God is upgrading my life. And He can do the same for you!   

And in case you're wondering, here's a little more about the "Dawn" behind Upgrade with Dawn.

Speaker. Author. Life Skills Coach.

Dawn Wilson is the founder of Heart Choices Today. She loves to encourage and coach women with the truth of scripture, with the goal of helping them make wise choices with eternity in mind. Dawn co-authored LOL with God: Devotional Messages of Hope and Humor for Women with Pam Farrel, co-founder of Love-Wise. (Book now out of print)

For a season, she was the San Diego chapter president for NEWIM (Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry). She is a contracted writer/researcher - currently working with Revive Our Hearts and Crosswalk.com.

Dawn and her husband Bob—married for 44 years—have served together for four decades in churches and three national ministries. They have two married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo named Roscoe.