15 Aug Be The Change You Wish To See

What kind of person does it take to change the world?  One who is able to change himself.

One of the most influential spiritual leaders of our world, Mahatma Gandhi, set the tone for what kind of attributes and fundamentals we must have in order to change our world.

Change yourself.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

All change must start from within.  If you strive to change your outer world before focusing internally you may find yourself feeling unfulfilled and discontent when (and if) you reach your goal.  Begin with yourself- who you are, how you function, what you think and feel.  Changing your thought will effect your emotions.  New emotions will effect your actions, and new actions will lead you to your success.

You are in control.

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

What you feel and how you react to the world around you is entirely up to you.  The thoughts and feelings that affect you everyday are actually affected BY you – they are your creation.  You are in control of all that occurs within.  Remember the Lifebook motto, ‘You are the expert of your own experience’.   Create a force field of strength and reason around your being and never let it be penetrated.

However, there is another side of the coin, which involves the experiences of those around you. All of the choices and actions that are being made by others are entirely out of your control.  Trying to manipulate or take power over someone else’s experience is immoral and should be avoided.

The only power we have is over ourselves, and in order to reach true fulfillment we not only have to acknowledge and take responsibility for that fact, but also learn to master it.

Forgive and let it go.

“An eye for eye makes the whole world blind.”

Holding on to negativity, in any form, can be extremely dangerous to your being.  The sooner you can confront an issue and release it from your experience, the better.  Once you’ve let go of whatever it is that holds you back, you free yourself.  You have no control over the past or the future.  Let go and free your present.

Without action you aren’t going anywhere.

“An ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.”

Without taking action very little can be done. However, taking action can be difficult, and there can be much inner resistance.  Focusing on the first 3 points can greatly aid this process.  Once you have begun working to better yourself, take control and let go of that which is out of your control, you will feel more compelled to take action.  Living with your Lifebook contributes greatly to your efficacy and is your tool to stay on track and continue pushing forward, which is the only way to go.  Remember, all life is either growing or dying.

Take care of this moment.

“I do not want to foresee the future.
I am concerned with taking care of the present.
God has given me no control over the moment following.”

Being fully conscious in the present can be extremely liberating.  Resistance to action often comes from those who reflect both on past failures or negative future consequences.  When you avoid those limiting thoughts and eliminate the habit of creating them you will find that you have not only freed yourself from that which holds you back, but that you also have more time when you stop finding reasons not to do things.  This is process is almost entirely mental, so focusing on and developing this habit lives in your Intellectual Life.

Everyone is human.

“I claim to be a simple individual
liable to err like any other fellow mortal.
I own, however, that I have humility enough
to confess my errors
and to retrace my steps.”

Humans are all on an incredible journey together.  We are all connected, and through our experience we try to learn about each other and about ourselves.  Making mistakes is only natural.  With freedom of choice comes responsibility, and responsibility can often lead to feelings of pressure.

Sometimes we find ourselves worrying about our actions, both the ones we have already committed, and the ones yet to come.  This judgment skill is necessary, and important, to our reasoning.  Without it we wouldn’t know the difference between what is right and wrong or try to avoid making mistakes.  But we must exercise caution when using it, and be careful not to cause ourselves distress over that which we cannot change, or let it hold us back from what we can change.

We are all human.  Humans naturally err and holding yourself or others to unreasonable standards can create conflict within your world and yourself.  Accept that which you are.   Once you make this spiritual connection you will find that regretting mistakes or judging others for their errs can be incredibly limiting.  Use your lessons as such, and allow yourself to learn and grow from all that you encounter.  Each event in our lives helps to shape who we become, and how we decide to react to these events are the key to our happiness and success.

Persist.

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you,
then they fight you, then you win.”

When you find something you’re passionate about it makes it much easier to be persistent and not give up. This is one reason Gandhi was so successful with his method of non-violence. He and his followers believed so strongly in their cause that they simply had nothing else to live for.  They didn’t give up.

When you know something is right for yourself, don’t give up.  Don’t let temptation or lack of motivation hold you back from achieving what you want.  You can have anything if you focus and persist.

See the good in people and help them.

“I look only to the good qualities of men.
Not being faultless myself,
I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”

As previously stated, we are all humans on a similar journey together.  When we lose connection with others – when we begin to judge and criticize them for their faults or mistakes – we lose connection with ourselves.  One of the most difficult and most liberating tasks is acceptance, both of others and of the self, and they often go hand in hand.  When you are secure, rational and compassionate you have no reason to pass judgment.  You take people for who they are because you are comfortable with who you are.  When you are accepting and caring of yourself and others, you are more inclined to help when and where it is needed.  And remember, you get what you give.  If you give criticism and negativity you can be sure you’re going to get it back.  If you give love, positivity, security and encouragement you will be seen in that light.

Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say,
and what you do are in harmony.”

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed.
Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”

When your thoughts and actions are in alignment you have achieved great creativity, which is simply a process of bringing thoughts into creation.  Creativity is one of highest forms of expression of who you are.  Being congruent, authentic and discovering your true self is the ultimate balance.

One of the best tips for improving your social skills and connecting with those around you is to behave in a congruent manner and communicate in an authentic way. People seem to really like authentic communication.  And there is much inner enjoyment to be found when your thoughts, words and actions are aligned. You feel powerful and at one with yourself.  When you are aligned, it shows in your tone of voice and body language, which some say is 90 percent of communication.  In other words, how you say things and how you physically present yourself means more in a conversation than what you are actually saying.  With these channels in alignment people tend to really listen to what you’re saying. You are communicating without incongruence, mixed messages or perhaps a sort of phoniness.

Continue to grow and evolve.

”Constant development is the law of life,
and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas
in order to appear consistent
drives himself into a false position.”

You can pretty much always improve your skills and habits or re-evaluate your evaluations.  Living with an open mind allows you to see into the minds of others and gain insight.  If you hold onto your beliefs too tightly it can end up limiting you.  You can maintain a belief about something and exercise curiosity and wonder about another without losing or weakening your values.  As a matter of fact, in doing so you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world.