Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.
Emile Coue
Being a better person is a process. No matter how good someone is, he can’t be perfect overnight. So the important thing is that you grow every day. Make growing a habit and you will see significant progress when you look back.
Here are several things you should do to be a better person day by day:
1. Take responsibility
Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.
Carol Burnett
Before anything else, you should realize that the one who is responsible for your life is you. Don’t blame other people or external condition for how you live your life. No matter how bad the situation might be, it’s you who decide how to respond to it. No matter what happens to you, it’s you who decide how it affects you.
2. Choose to grow
The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.
George Eliot
After taking the responsibility for your life, the next thing you should do is deciding that you want to grow. Choose to grow rather than staying where you are. Choose to be a better person every day.
3. Make room for growth
If the shoe fits, you’re not allowing for growth.
Robert N. Coons
How can you grow if there is no room for it? What I mean is not physical room, of course. Instead, you should make room for growth in your mind. Believe in yourself that you can grow. Believe that you can make the changes you want. Don’t limit yourself and aim to be the best that you can be.
4. Don’t expect instant results
While you should make room for growth, you should also have realistic expectations. If you expect too much, you might get disappointed and discouraged. It takes time to grow so don’t lose heart if you still couldn’t become the person you want to be. Remember what Moliere said:
The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.
5. Extract lessons from your experiences
Extracting lessons from your experiences is essential for your personal growth. Those who do will outgrow those who don’t. So make every experience a learning opportunity. Open your eyes and grab every possible lesson.
6. Keep a journal
Whatever lesson you learn, write it down in a journal. Keeping a journal can save you a lot of time because you don’t have to repeat the same mistakes again and again.
7. Build positive habits
Doing small things consistently can make a big difference over time. Choose a simple activity that helps you grow and do it every day. For example, you may choose to read for half an hour every day. Or you may allocate time to pray or meditate every day. The important thing is that you do it consistently.
8. Face your fear
Your fear limits your growth. Because of that you need to identify, face, and conquer your fear. It’s not easy to do, but as Anais Nin said:
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
9. Have quality input
Your input determines your output. That’s why you need to feed your mind with positive and uplifting thoughts every day. Listen to motivational audio and video programs. Read inspiring books. Read quotes by great people.
10. Be around positive people
The people around you have great influence on you. They can make or break your life. I’m lucky to have a lot of positive people around me that encourage me to grow. They act as a source of energy and inspiration for me.
11. Find role models
It’s much easier to achieve something if you have role models that become examples for you. Instead of having a lot of abstract ideas of what you want to be, you have concrete examples in front of you. So find people with positive traits you admire and let them inspire you.
12. Find mentors
Mentors are even more important than role models. You usually don’t have personal relationships with your role models, but you do have personal relationships with your mentors. A mentor is someone who can guide you through the walk of life. Mentors can help you grow much faster because you don’t need to repeat the mistakes they have made. No longer do you need to find the right path yourself. No longer do you need to find truth the hard way.
Photo by ewen and donabel
Comment by Paul Sabaj
#1 18. August 2009, 8:31 am o'clock |
What a great morning read. I always look forward to the posts. I would like to say that in line two (choose to grow) You are where you are at because you choose to be there was told to me by an old teacher. The second part is like you said choose be be different. Like Yoda said “there is no try ,only do”
On (Don’t expect instant results) Mark Victor Hansen who wrote the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul took two years to hit it big. He said he did five things a day to move towards his goal and now has sold over 500 million dollars in books.
On (Face your fear) one needs to remember that on the other side of fear, is freedom. I don’t know where the quote came from but I love it. Thanks again for the words of inspiration in a time when all need it.
Comment by Nik Halik
#2 18. August 2009, 12:55 pm o'clock |
This is great advice. I would also stress the importance of living life day-to-day. Begin every day with the mindset that “today is a good day”. Believe that you will accomplish your dreams, and you have never been closer to accomplishing those dreams until today. If you begin the day with the right mindset every day, you will achieve great things. As you plant the seed to future success, the words you speak will reflect the prosperity consciousness you posses.
Comment by jonathan figaro
#3 18. August 2009, 5:26 pm o'clock |
Making a conscious decision to say I can, will cause personal growth. Not allowing your fear to take control of your life. Fear can only hold one back from discovering your full potential. Let go of fear and pursue a worthy cause.
Comment by Steve
#4 18. August 2009, 8:07 pm o'clock |
I most liked, from this post, doing small things consistently every day, seeking quality inputs, keeping a journal, and learning from mentors. Thanks for showing us that great journeys begin with daily steps.
Comment by Terry
#5 18. August 2009, 10:16 pm o'clock |
Your forgot about living in the moment and enjoying it. I mean really enjoying it. Every damn moment. That my friend is the first rule you really need. The rest is just cake.
Comment by Kaizan
#6 19. August 2009, 3:24 am o'clock |
Nice post!
I totally agree. Anything of value takes time to build. And small steps every day is the best way to do that.
I like the idea of taking a lesson from every experience. That is a valuable practice.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
#7 20. August 2009, 7:41 pm o'clock |
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone. Your comments enrich me and give me deeper understanding on this topic.
Comment by akomolede raphael
#8 21. August 2009, 3:13 am o'clock |
This is inspiring. One should not be limited by fear. Even you should not be limited by your success. It should be noted that
success is a journey and not a destination.
Thank you keep it up
Comment by Roseanna Leaton
#9 23. August 2009, 7:52 am o'clock |
These are all important points, although I am particularly aware of points 10, 11 and 12. The effect of being around negative people is so very draining. It is massively important to protect oneself from negativity and to surround yourself with people who you can look up to and learn from.
Really enjoyed this article; it gives a nice positive boost to the day. Thankyou.
Comment by Ranjini
#10 14. October 2009, 9:31 am o'clock |
Its amazing to see so many of us read this and benefit from this site.
Comment by saima
#11 29. November 2009, 3:42 am o'clock |
liked the advices a lot
Comment by sahibou
#12 7. February 2010, 7:56 pm o'clock |
that so cool i like…. how to be a good person..
Comment by Dustin
#13 8. February 2010, 12:33 pm o'clock |
Great post, thanks for the inspiration.
I was looking for something thorough and uplifting and here it is!
Comment by daisy t
#14 18. March 2010, 3:39 am o'clock |
im so glad to read wat everybody posted dis has given me the oppurtunity to be a better and a stronger person…im so uplifted and happy to read dis i now learn from my mistakes
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#1 31. August 2009, 10:44 am o'clock |
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