There are so many self-help books on the market today. The famous Christian Pastor Joel Olsten has written many – his most recent is – “Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day.” Books by other self-help authors include: “Learning to Love Yourself” or “Recovery Of Your Self-Esteem”.  
 
Then there is Dr. Wayne Dyer’s – “Incredible You! 10 Ways to let your greatness shine through” 
 
And now there is the popularity of “life coaches” - this is essentially turning you life over to someone else so you don’t have to be responsible for making your own decisions.  
 
I am here to tell you - You don’t have to change – you are perfect just the way you are. This was the Buddha’s message to us. 
 
Let me share with you an old Tibetan story…. 
 
“There was once a young monk who, after several years of meditation and study at the monastery, asked for a special audience with the head Lama. 
 
"Master," the young monk explained, "I have tried as hard as I can, but I am afraid I will never be enlightened and wonder if I should just quit. I meditate and perform my chores and study the Dharma, but I cannot even keep all ten precepts for a single week. I have no problem with most of them, but I'm afraid I cannot keep the "right speech" one no matter how hard I try. I am an incurable gossip. I can barely make it through one week without catching myself talking about other people!" 
 
The old Master looked at the young student in surprise. "You have managed to keep nine of the precepts for a whole week?" he exclaimed. "Why, just today I broke two of them before the evening meal. You should be teaching me!" 
 
So many of us, especially when we first begin Buddhist practice, usually think that we will we will somehow improve ourselves. This is really a sort of subtle aggression against ourselves.. We feel if I would only do this or that – THEN I would be a good or better person. This is the same message that these self-help books are telling you. But that is operating from a mind of poverty.  
 
I am told that the well-known Lama Yeshe would love to tell his students, “You are all perfect just the way you…..but you could also use a little work too!” So, I guess I am telling you the same thing.  
 
Now that would seem to be a dichotomy. We are perfect just the way we are – but we need a little bit of help? Isn’t that self-improvement? It really isn’t  
 
If our fundamental nature is “Buddha nature” if we are basic nature is already enlightened, then we don’t have to change who we are – we simply have to “wake-up” to that reality. 
 
So, “How do go about doing that?” you may ask?” As I tell you every week it is through mindfulness meditation practice combined with the virtue of ethical conduct and compassion practice. By practicing this on a daily basis we then are able to take mindfulness into our everyday lives.  
 
The trouble with these self-help programs is they work for a little while, but as soon as we get really tired or stressed out we revert right back to our “old” self. Mindfulness, on the other hand, transforms us in an inner way. We can work on the outer way for a while but it doesn’t last very long. When we focus on our inner self, or “authentic self” we are truly changed – but this is subtle transformation – it is not quick fix. We must be willing to “let go” and wake up to the present moment. 
 
Alan Wallace reminds us that “mindfulness” is just a sort of remembering. Remembering what? Remembering the past mistakes we’ve made so we don’t make them again. If we can apply mindfulness to all aspects of our lives – then we will be more kind, more compassionate, more loving toward all other beings. Then we don’t have to go on some self-improvement kick – that isn’t going to work anyway. 
 
Just apply mindfulness to every situation. Every situation has the potential to wake us up – or to make us respond with anger and resentment. 
 
One of my favorite quotes that I have shared with you before is: “Everyday we decide who we will be by the actions we take.” This is really about mindfulness. Try to take this quote with you in the coming week and apply it to every situation.