This post is mainly a reminder for myself and other self-help readers:
Don't read because you want to know how to be successful. Don't read because you want to know how to be happy. Don't read because you want to stop feeling sad, depressed, unmotivated, bored, and so on. Don't read because you want to improve yourself or your relationships. Don't read because you want to be richer or smarter or healthier.
Instead, read for insight. Read to understand differently. Read to realize something about yourself or the world. Read for the moment when you can say, “Wow. I never thought about it like that,” or “I didn't realize that was possible.” (Seth Godin calls this "the joke" - an author or artist's punchline.)
It's those moments – the moments of insight – that actually allow you not only to grow, but to approach life differently. Tim Ferriss has a different approach to business than, say, Derek Sivers does, just as Tony Robbins has a different approach to happiness than, say, John Gray. And all these differences come from the different experiences, the different insights, each person gained from life, from trying and experimenting and planning.
In the end, it's not anything specific that will determine if you become happy, rich, or smart; rather, it's how you approach your life and what lessons you're learning.
Don't look for answers. Rather, look for interesting, deep, exciting ways to approach the question.