Thomas Moore the author of Care of the Soul writes,
"A major difference between care and cure is that cure implies the end of trouble. If you are cured, you don't have to worry about whatever was bothering or you were struggling with any longer. But care has a sense of ongoing attention. There is no end. Conflicts may never be fully resolved. Your character will never change radically, although it may go through some interesting transformations"

At one time during my life I read a fair share of self help books but many years ago I became so disillusioned regarding the possibility of significant change I abandoned the project altogether. Today, I generally don't ascribe to formula's nor do I expect any significant change or quick fixes from reading any book or listening to any expert guru pontificating about this or that. What if there is, as Moore suggests, no cure for some if not many of our personal spiritual/psychological ailments? Are we without hope? Not if Moore is correct when he suggests in his writings that ongoing attention and care of our soul can in the end lead to transformation that may not solve all our problems but may potentially provide us with the inner strength and motivation to live our lives with dignity, grace, and love despite our shortcomings, individual limitations, and personal demons that haunt our lives. I can fully understand why so many people are searching for answers to their personal problems but perhaps "expecting" the find a cure to many of our problems is our version of the search for the Holy Grail.