Basic requirements for self-improvement
Inspirations by Sudhir Krishnan
Many people complain that self-improvement is difficult, and that despite their attempts over a long periods of time, their lives have not really changed. The following are some of the qualities that are required to succeed on the path of self-improvement. If you have not been experiencing the life changing transformation you are seeking , chances are that one or more of these requirements have been missing.
1) Self-Enquiry
The first requirement for self-improvement is acknowledging that you need to improve.The ego constantly maintains that we are good the way we are, and that it is only the world around us that needs to improve. The more suffering you are experiencing in your life, the more you need to immediately improve yourself in some way. Even in the absence of immediate suffering, the fact is that each one of us can become better. Thus, unless you are already spiritually enlightened, you can be sure to have some scope left for improvement, and acknowledging the need to improve is the first step in bringing about an improvement.
2) Being open to seek help
The second requirement for self-improvement is acknowledging that you need help to improve yourself. Books, videos and friends can all be a good source of inspiration, however there is no substitute for a teacher who has walked the path ahead of you. Whether it is a spiritual teacher, life coach or a counselor, what may take you years to learn and implement on your own can be accomplished in just a few months, if only you are willing to work with a mentor. One tip, that probably applies more to men than women is that there is no shame in seeking outside help to create a better you. Even great kings have personal advisors. You don’t have to fight all your battles alone. Having your own mentor is a great privilege and is sure to pay you rich dividends for the rest of your life.
3) Thirst for improvement
The third requirement for self-improvement is a deep thirst to improve, to learn, to grow. Even if you go to the most gifted spiritual teacher/life-coach/counselor, without the deep thirst for improvement, things will not change. That thirst has to come from within, and no one can give it to you. Too many people seek only a band-aid for their current problems, and not long-lasting improvement. They just want to feel better in the moment. Some other seek a counselor as a means to gain sympathy and complain about how bad their life is, instead of actually wanting to learn how to make things better.There is no short-cut to self-improvement. In order to create a better life, a deep thirst for permanent internal transformation is very much needed.
4) Self-confidence
The fourth requirement for self-improvement is self-confidence in your ability to apply what you learn and come out better. Many people upon hearing some new knowledge react saying “That was great information, but too difficult to apply in my life”. If we believe something to be difficult , your mind will find it very challenging to master it - in fact it will bring your attention to all the obstacles due to which you are not likely to succeed. Having the attitude of “This is simple, I can do it, I am a quicker learner” goes a long way in attracting the great results you are after.
5) Putting knowledge to practice
The fifth requirement for self-improvement is to immediately, rigorously and continuously put into practice whatever new knowledge you learn. Many people are well read on self-help /spirituality topics. Some of these people will even proudly give advice to friends and family on how to solve their issues. Some others will discuss/debate high philosophies with other interested parties. However when it comes to their own lives, they are not able to apply the knowledge when needed. Knowledge that is not put into action is simply a burden to carry around in our heads. Knowing something and actually being able to put it to use are completely different things. Also the right knowledge has to be applied in the right way, and in the right context, and this is where an experienced mentor can greatly help. Simply knowing “Like attracts Like” is very different from knowing how to apply law of attraction in the heat of the moment, when your boss, spouse, or child is not happy with you and giving you a real hard time.
6) Having faith in the teacher and process
The sixth requirement for self-improvement is having faith in the teacher as well as the process followed. While it is good to intellectually understand and question the process, being cynical and having too little faith is counterproductive to personal growth. Self-improvement takes a lot of effort and patience, as we are fighting our own subconscious tendencies that we created over a long period of time, using new knowledge we consciously learn and apply. We need to allow the process to work, and give an opportunity to actually experience improvement, thereby increasing our faith and motivation to put more effort. Some people keep changing teachers/processes in the hope that the next teacher/process will bring about some magical change. Again, it helps to look inside ourselves and see how much we are actually learning and putting the knowledge to use, instead of jumping to the conclusion that the teacher is not good enough.
If we sincerely work on meeting all of the above requirements, each one of us can achieve great internal transformation and thus succeed in creating a wonderful life for ourselves. Wishing you great success and joy in your life.
source - facebook