"Improve Your Self Now " Your 7-day program for Self-improvement
I seem to lose track of how many times I have read and heard that celebrity marriages fail almost from left to right. Not that I care (and personally don't care), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as perfect people, living the fairytale life of wealth and glamor. I guess we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.
There are many ways to lose your sense of self-worth, no matter how trivial it may be. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of ourselves.
So what does it take to be above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think about and improve on that should be enough for a week.
1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction, hoping to find happiness, health, and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth to the north at all times.
This may seem tricky at first when looking down a narrow alley or even dead end. But there is always that little gap to change things and you can make a big difference for yourself.
2. Know your values
What do you value the most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. When setting your goals for 2005, compare your goals with your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values, you may want to reconsider or revise it.
The number shouldn't put you off, but should motivate you to do more than you've ever dreamed of.
3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can prevent you from living authentically. Beware. Do you have the need to be recognized, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up stressed or even depressed. List your top four needs and get them done before it's too late.
4. Know your passions
You know who you are and what you really enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and a lack of enthusiasm will only get in the way, but they won't derail your chance to become the person you should be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the person you wanted to be.
5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Communicate with nature. Take a deep breath to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us urbanites, it is difficult to even find the peace and quiet that we want even in our own home. In my case, I often sit in a dimly lit room and play classical music. There is sound, yes, but music soothes the wild beast.
6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three: If you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help you identify them. Are you imaginative, resourceful, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know with others.
7. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop a sense of being interconnected. When you are faithful to who you are, living your purpose and giving your talents to the world around you, you return in service what you came to share with others, your spirit, your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you are truly rewarding, much more so if they were the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.
Self-improvement is indeed a kind of work that pays off. You shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or perhaps in the four corners of your own room. The difference is in ourselves and in how much we want to change to improve.
