Everyone's a Guru - Who to Follow?

I just finished watching a half hour video on someone recommended by another I am on an email list for. It's all great information, it all sounds wonderful, had tons of information provided in the training, almost to the point of overwhelm. My question is - who truly is a Guru and how do you know which one to follow?

I've followed many, have taken courses or seminars/conferences with some and they all add value and input, but how do you know you've found the "one" that will give you what you want or need? I tend to go with my gut instinct, whether I feel a connection to them, something they've said or how they present.

I sometimes feel like I've become a teleseminar junkie, or professional student and could literally be listening to someone or reading something from them many hours a day. Problem with that is, it leaves little time to do what you really need to do, and in that case - it's my business, the creation of it, promotion of it and making income from it.

I love learning, always have, always will - but I sometimes feel exhausted and burned out too. I need to learn to strike a balance and chunk out certain times for following up on what I want to know more about, actually book time out in my calendar for these activities to make better, consistent use of my time on a daily basis. Many of these calls or programs are time senstive, it's a marketing strategy and it makes you feel as though you're going to "miss out" if you don't attend.

At the beginning of 2010 I vowed to select just a few of those I want to follow, stop getting sidetracked with more and more, I did pretty well initially, but seems as of late - I'm right back at it lol! Some because I've previously attended their teleseminars, they always offer great tips, and occasionally it brings them back on my radar again because it's a subject that has previously interested me and I've not learned enough so want to explore it further.

So what really denotes "Guru"? Is it because they say they are a Guru or Expert? Is is because they have tons of testimonials saying how much their lives have changed as a direct result of working with this "Guru"? Is it because they've got tons of followers on Twitter, Facebook or any other social site?

My experience has been that unless you interact directly with them, either by signing up for a course or conference, you have no real way to know until you've paid and are in it experiencing it first hand. This can tend to get rather expensive, and although I've never regretted one single event I've attended, I do realize none of them have given me what I need at the time. That being a clear, concise decision on what to next do for a business that brings me joy and passion, helps others get past their hurdles that have kept them stuck and make a great income.

I guess it's all a journey of self discovery and that's how I look at it. I've learned something from each and every one of them, and even though I have not yet been able to use everything I've learned, I do know for a fact that once I get clear, much of what I've learned so far will be able to be applied and used in my new business.

I've already begun to come up with my own course ideas, just the first 2 steps, but both of these steps were a direct result of learning with 2 or 3 I've followed for quite some time and attended events/courses with. It's all good and I feel I'm on this very long journey to learn my life purpose and be able to share my gift with the world.

Just wondering if any others feel a bit overwhelmed or scattered from the process of finding out who the right coach/mentor is for them? Do you feel a coach/mentor is essential in your growth? Would love feedback!