Becoming a Better You
If happiness comes from within, then why does it seem so difficult for so many people to find contentment with themselves? Often times it is because they have been conditioned over time to believe in the negative image they have of themselves. Poor self esteem and personal insecurities haunt many people. Self concept or self identity comes from persistent assessment of ones self, however, too many times this assessment is based on the false perceptions and distorted images. Over time, the distorted image becomes reality.
At other times discontentment can be a result of fear of failure or even fear of success. People tend to resist change for fear of the unknown, even if they are unhappy in their current condition. Often times a person will stay in a dead-end job or relationship simply because it is familiar rather than venture into the unknown. While the concept may seem ridiculous when you read it on paper, it is the mentality that many humans share. However, those who hold on to this thought rarely find happiness. Their own thought process becomes crippling and limits their potential in life.
Self-doubt and a fear to take risks may be all that stand between you and a happy, fulfilling life. Examine your thoughts and beliefs to find out what steps you need to take towards becoming a better you. There are several factors that comprise our entire self image and self esteem. By being honest with yourself about how you feel about yourself, you can acknowledge and confront the issues that must be addressed in order to promote a healthy self image.
Improving one self needs to incorporate a mental, physical and emotionally sound life. Asking yourself some of the hardest question can often open up those mental blocks between you and happiness. What areas of your life make you the most unhappy? What areas in life do you wish were different? What areas in your life need the greatest change to meet your definition of success? Is that definition one that can be attained in reality?
Physical self improvement is usually easy to identify but difficult to achieve. While some self-improvement requires you to undergo a physical transformation (like loosing or gaining weight), other require you to simply accept the body you have-and often that is the more difficult task. When we condition ourselves to believe in a set standard of beauty for which we ourselves do not fit, it makes self-acceptance a trying task. However, it is a necessary task in order to achieve happiness.
Working on the emotional side of life is a bit harder than the physical changes. Our lives have a tendency to leave scars on our psyche and those scars are the reason Psychiatrists and Psychologists have the jobs they do today. Practicing calming techniques and methods can improve the emotional hold we have on our lives and thus improve our chances of happiness.
Self improvement is also and, actually, always mental. The mental side of life is the one that can connect all others together to produce the happiness we desire. Without mental focus on the real meaning of life, the achievements of life will mean nothing and the bar will be set so high that the failure to meet the expectations will result in even lower levels of happiness.
A happy mind, soul, heart and self are all needed for overall life happiness. Improving oneself for the better can lead to an improved love of the world around us. It is believed that once the unsuccessful person stops trying to be successful, success knocks on the door.
