What makes otherwise simple and loving individuals a challenge if not, a pain, to live with, when put in an environment not of their own making or different from what they are accustomed to? What drives humans? What makes them inhuman? What is the fundamental aspect that every human being finds difficult to grasp when learning how to fit into society? The answers to these and similar questions are contained in the simple message to social beings by sociologists and researchers who have studied the phenomenon of man living in society as a contributing and responsible part of its development and downfall; they lie in the way man perceives himself and his value to society. These answers can be changed if man makes a conscious decision to change negative aspects of himself, build on the positive aspects of his nature, recognize the weakness and strengths he possesses which can damage him, sift out the wrong influences and work for the greater good of all in society rather than simply work for reasons of self-gain.
Social ways and norms need to be learned by man, who is a by-product of society and needs to attune his outlook and actions as society deems right and fit.
Of course, one also understands that man is also an emotional being and has various deep rooted feelings that dictate the path he should take; nobody wants to be a slave to their emotions and so to avoid any instance of drudgery, man needs to be the captain of his ship i.e. his Life's ship! He needs to always sit in the driver’s seat and take charge of his life, raise emotional competency levels so as to clearly see solutions with problems and in the process be able to discover hidden qualities in himself so as to benefit self and society! This is the real meaning of life, of finding a self-identity that is worthy of being a part of society and finding the strength as well as the means to improve and develop the societal norms and conditions that are vital for overall well-being of society and the world.
A few of the ways in which one can effectively ensure that one fits into the social frame-work in such a way that it benefits the society as well as builds positive self-identity is to go in for a complete attitude change, if necessary. This means questioning exiting beliefs, switching to better values, keeping the lesson but throwing away the experience when negative things happen and journaling good thoughts on paper so these re-affirm the individual's faith each time he reads it.
One can also learn to guide the mind towards positive, healing and empowering decision-making by learning how to build focus and learning how to relax thereafter; yoga, silent meditation, playing mind puzzles are some ways to relieve stress and build a higher sense of consciousness that will in turn, expand memory and awareness both.
Article By Abhishek Agarwal
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I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.
There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.
So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.
Day 1: Know your purpose.
Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll 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 north every time.
This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.
Day 2: Know your values.
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2005 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.
The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.
Day 3: Know your needs.
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, 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 being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!
Day 4: Know your passions.
You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who has inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.
Day 5: Live from the inside out.
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.
Day 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 identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, 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 to others.
Day 7: Serve others.
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.
Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.
Article By R. Maciulis
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Self-improvement is improving yourself for your own sake. May it be your confidence, self-esteem, your looks...whatever you want to change about yourself. To change yourself however, you must know what you want to change and this means understanding yourself. In this article discover 5 questions you should ask yourself to see what you need to change about yourself.
1. Am I happy at where I am today?
Do you feel good with what you have done? What you have achieved? If not then change it. Do something you can be proud of. It doesn’t have to be something big, it can be something small like be a more loving person.
2. Am I appealing to the opposite sex?
Many people go through self-improvement because they feel they are unattractive. This can easily be changed. Change what you wear, your personality and maybe your looks if you feel that is the only way around it.
3. How much could I have?
This doesn’t have to be a financial question it can be a question for anything. The main thing you have to realise this question is it says “could”. If you look at this from a financial perspective I bet you could make millions but are you willing to work that hard?
4. What motivates me?
Motivation is the key to a happy life. If you are motivated you can amaze yourself at what you can do. For example your motivation might be losing some weight and putting on some muscle for the next time you go to the beach and to achieve that goal you will go to the gym and exercise to reach your goal.
5. Should I really change?
This is the most vital question to self improvement. Do you really NEED to change? If so what are you looking to change, maybe it’s the fact that you are too shy or maybe you want to change your appearance and maybe even your personality. If you know what you want to change you can start improving it straight away.
Ask yourself these 5 questions as they will guide you into what you need to change. Many people may decide not to change because they feel that by doing so they become someone else.
Article By James Pswarai
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