Self-improvement & Success

They go Together

Everything that happens to you happens for a purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in a cage of fear crying over past heartaches, embarrassments, and failures, try to treat these circumstances as your teachers, and they will become your tools in both self-improvement and success.

Remember watching Patch Adams? It’s one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter “Patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself to a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people, mentally sick people.

He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic, and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still wanted to become a doctor. He carried with himself a positive attitude that brought him self-improvement and success. He not only improved himself, but also he improved the quality of the lives of the people around him. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he arguably became the best doctor this country has ever known.

So, when does self-improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start? Take these tips:

Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU? Relax and understand results are not good or bad; they simply are. You have the capability to change your results as you focus more on your own personal growth.

When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self-improvement, not self pitying. Self-acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty. Or consider how much ‘they’ had vested in getting to look like they did. Know that you could do the same IF it were that important to you.

When others feel down about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior. Use your energies to show them a better way to view life. Help them up and you will be helping yourself up as well. There is no better therapy than that of helping others get what you want.

The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on some insignificant thing. There’s always another opportunity. Make room for self-improvement. Make it a part of your everyday life and your life will change. I guarantee it.

Take things one at a time. Don’t expect any result without a gestation period. Self-improvement is a one day at a time process. How long does it take a child to learn to walk or to talk? How much time is required to earn a degree in any career? Isn’t self-improvement deserving of the same investment of time? Take it slow and know that your goals are unfolding so long as you continue to move forward.

Self-improvement results in inner stability, personality development and SUCCESS. It comes from self-confidence gained by seeing the results of your efforts, self appreciation gained from knowing the dedication you’ve given, and self-esteem gained by the new and more accurate way you look at yourself.

Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self-improvement doesn’t turn you into someone else. It does turn you into a new, improved, better YOU. The idea is not to try to become someone else. You still want to be your own person. When you realize this, you realize an achievable goal, and a goal that is far more than you could ever achieve by trying to become another person.

Little things mean BIG things to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do, like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean can so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about the beautiful things around us, we also become beautiful to them. Appreciation is reciprocal.

When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self-improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitudes are always coexisting. Sometimes, even a best friend who enjoys doing many of the same things you do may not be interested if you bring up working together to improve yourselves. Many times people fear, or even resent, the idea that they might be better by doing so. Just the mere suggestion of self-improvement may convey to them that they are less than perfect in your eyes. It is an ego thing, but very real just the same.

We should always remember that there’s no such thing as an ‘overnight success.’ Success is not a destination but a journey. It is a journey that may feel rapid or slow, but much of what we feel has little to do with reality and much to do with our perspective, our attitude. Keep yourself feeling positive, knowing that every step you take is one step behind you. It is one step closer to where you are going. Be patient and be kind. Be always willing to help others on the same journey.

To your journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt

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