Ways To Become A Better You

Perfection eludes us as humans but that doesn’t mean that we should be comfortable about being less than we have the potential to be.

Who says you cannot be near perfect? And the beauty of it is that you don’t even have to change yourself or become someone else, you just have to become a better you, the best version of your unique self

So what are the ways to become a better you?

1. Stay positive

One of the first things we need to learn is to develop a positive attitude. Life will test you; it is inevitable but you have to stay strong and understand that the downs are but for a while. It will pass and if you don’t feed it, it will pass faster.

There is something called the law of attraction that works with the universe. The universe brings to you the energy you feed it.

If you want positive energy, train your mind to think positive and you will experience so much positivity it will amaze you.

Life is too short and it will cost you nothing to think great thoughts about yourself and the situations around you.

2. Practice gratitude

Studies have shown that people who are grateful for the little they have are prone to get more.

Like I mentioned above, experiencing life curves is inevitable but how we deal with it is what makes the world of difference.

Are we going to dwell on all the negatives or be thankful for the positive?

This is not to invalidate how you feel but believe me, whatever you are going through, there is someone going through worse.

Be thankful; you will live stress-free and attract positivity into your life.

3. Be courteous and polite

People who have near-perfect character are those who have learnt to be courteous and polite.

Sometimes, we might think there is something to emulate about being rude, but people will respect you more if you take the time to be polite.

Say, “thank you,” “excuse me,” “please” when necessary and always say it with a smile.

4. Take responsibility for your actions

Our lives are largely a combination of our decisions and consequences of the decisions.

You will not always make the right decisions – except you are God, which you aren’t. But there is usually the tendency of only wanting to own up to the right decisions we take.

When we make a wrong move as well, the ability to own up to it and take responsibility shows the strength of character.

5. Learn from the past and move on

The past is the past. No matter what we do, we cannot go back to it.

There is nothing worrying about the past can do to change it or make it better. So, as difficult as it is, exert your energy on what you can actually change.

Pick the lessons from the experience and use it for a better today and tomorrow.

6. Love yourself and others

First, it is important to love yourself. If you don’t love yourself, you can’t love others.

You cannot give what you don’t have. Show yourself some love, you deserve it and you are worth it.

Then, extend that same love to others. Everybody doesn’t have to be in your inner circle; you don’t have to force relationships with everybody.

But you can still show love to everybody because love is largely a “doing” word.

It is a higher level of loving to show love to people that consider you their enemy but trust me if you can achieve that level of loving, you are going to be strongest human ever.

7. Practice a healthy lifestyle

How you feel inside largely affects how you feel outside as well as your disposition.

So, take care of your health by practising a healthy lifestyle. Eat well and invest time into exercising daily so you don’t only feel good but you are actually good, health-wise.

8. Be kind

It costs nothing to show kindness and the beautiful thing we have the opportunity to either be kind to people or otherwise every day.

There is always somebody to show kindness. Something as simple as offering someone a smile can brighten their day and you just might be changing their life.

Help that elderly man/woman with her things.

Help the children by the road cross the road.

Give to the poor and needy.

There are so many things we can do to put smiles on people’s faces. One principle I feel we should all live by is make sure we leave people better than we met them.

9. Forgive yourself and others

I started this by saying perfection eludes us as humans and sequel to one of the points above, we will not always make the best decisions, we will make mistakes.

Just as it is important to take responsibility for them, it is equally important not to dwell on them. We might make certain mistakes that we feel are unforgivable.

Don’t be too hard on yourself; you are only human. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Forgive yourself and let it go.

You will never live a full, satisfying life if you are carrying the weight of the errors of the past. Learn from it and move on.

On the other hand, we cannot avoid offence. Humans are complex beings and because we are thinking beings, we will always clash.

People will offend you and no matter how grievous some of these offences are, we have to forgive them to really move on with our lives.

10. Seek knowledge

So many of us make the mistake of not actively learning once we leave school whereas our brain needs to be constantly exerted.

Read, read and read some more. It doesn’t have to be “academic” books but make sure to know a little about every topic. Don’t be totally ignorant of any topic; at least know something basic about it.

This can only happen if you actively seek knowledge.

11. Practice digital detox: As great as social media and Smartphones are, they have practically taken over our lives and we have to actively stay away if we want to live rich and productive lives.

To become a better you, practise digital detox once in a while when you stay away from the phones and just take stock of your life, do actual work, spend time with loved ones or just appreciate nature.