What is the first step in changing your life, to make it better?

Question

What has really worked in your life to inspire you to change for the better and experience more happiness?

Answer 1

Acknowledging that it can be changed.
Have a think about the things your really into - some of your interests from when your a kid (it may take a bit of thinking - we can forget somethings that we were once pasionate about).
Then decide what of those things can you or are you willing to go get. Keep focused, but an open mind. When you assess things you may realise you need or want to drop some things currently in your life. If you know what really matters to you, then don`t do something else - keep focused and the experience it takes you on will be worth it!

Answer 2

My first step was the realization to stop looking to others for my happiness. It took many months of being single and doing a lot of soul searching (most of which was facing the real ugly aspects of my life) and realizing that the bad reality of my life was of my own making. Once I did that I was able to see clearly both the good and bad about myself. Most of my ugliness was because I had a very selfish nature. That's when i decided (we have the ability to "choose" how we react in anything) to start doing the "right" thing which is often the hardest of the two choices instead of the decision that was feeding my own selfish needs. it absolutely amazed me how my world started to open up in front of me and "life paths" i never dreamed could be available suddenly flourished in front of my eyes. I had so many more options i couldn't believe it. All because I took a step back and made a decision to change my inner self and be happy in my own skin first.

Oh. and I still have a long way to go... but i am getting there.

Good Question

Answer 3

well I think that you already made the first step..you asked yourself! So you have intention to do something. I think that you are on the way then.
I will tell you what I think, it works for me. My life aim is learning and growing as a personlity, not becoming happy by itself. And the funny thing is, since I do not search for happiness, I am actually happy!
One thing which has been working for me is learning NVC (nonviolent communication). It has a strange name, but it is all about connecting to real me and to the real of the other people. It already brought a lot of happiness t my life and it is slowly changing me.When I starter learning it, my aim was just to learn how to use NVC, but what happened was that I was changing, becoming more me, more happy as well.
I cannot say that my way will neceserely be your way, but maybe you would like to try it out. they have a webb cnvc.org, and there I recoment you to read case stories to understand better how it works. If this is not your path,,, then I wish you to find what you are looking for. :-)

Answer 4

Gimb1960's answer is pretty much the best.

There was even an article in the New York Times i believe, which was referenced by an article in Discover Magazine. It claimed that thinking is the downfall of mankind. People didnt think about fire and then make it. People made fire then wasted a bunch of time later, thinking about it. Same for Everything. You can spend your whole day thinking about doing the laundry, and not do the laundry. Or you can spend the 2 hours in the morning doing the laundry and the rest of the day thinking about whatever you want, (you could even think about the laundry, at that point. but you wont feel like you HAVE to think about the laundry)

The thinking that most people do is directly linked to something we think we 'should have done.'

Another metaphor that helped me, and may seem unrelated at first, is the Pink Elephant.
A teacher gave us a test, and the test was DO NOT THINK ABOUT A PINK ELEPHANT for 10 seconds. as soon as you think of the Pink Elephant, you raise you hand cause you just failed. ready? GO.

about 2 seconds later, over half the class had already raised their hands. No one made 10 seconds and he said, heres the trick. all you have to do is picture a Purple Elephant.
To me its just an example of our thinking and how we can overthink things to a spectacular degree. alot harder struggling to keep the image of a pink elephant from our mind, than it is to just think of something else.

Answer 5

The first step is the first thing listed on the Buddhist Eightfold Path. Right views. I've made a lot of improvements in my life recently but none of them could have been achied w/out the right views. TO change your life, to make it better, you must correct perceive the world around you. Then, you can move on to other stuff, like developing right intentions.

Answer 6

Since you've already decided to change. The first step in changing your life is to decide what you want to change. Then decide how you are going to change it (what are you going to do to achieve the change). then what are you going to give up to make the change. Finally, Do the action to change.
for example: step 1: I want to lose 50 pounds. step 2: Eat fewer calories and do aerobics 3x a week. Step 3: I'm giving up 2nd portions at dinner and junk food snacks. Step 4: I'm doing the actions described in step 2 and 3 and taking it one day at a time.

The thing that inspires me most to change my life for the "better" is my personal belief system or religion. Those values are the base for any goals or aspirations I have. Seeing those values exemplified by another encourages me to do better at living those values myself.

Answer 7

Realization: I couldn't work a miracle in another. I could only change myself. I had to be in control to do that. You slam the door. You leap into the unknown. I'll take different for now. Better is right around the corner. Good Question.

Answer 8

FIND YOUR PASSION PEOPLE!!!!!

Everyone had or has a passion find it and do something with it!!!

That will bring you happiness. Not money or fame but your passion,, what you are here for...

Find a way to bring some of that into your everyday life and you will be more happy.

I left a great paying Nursing job,, exciting too as Trauma Nurse.. I was miserable..I did many odd jobs and then ened up going into wildlife... it was my passion as a child.. I got steered away from it... was never happy... Now I am so is my family.. there is NO money in it but we are happy.
Also learn to let things go... just say hey.. who cares and let little things go ... relax...

Good Luck
Wismom

Answer 9

The first step is wanting to. Being brave enough to step back and take an objective look at your life and deciding what you really want and what needs to change in order to get it.

Answer 10

For [me] it was getting back to church...and renewing [my] relationship with Jesus....
Reading the Bible daily, and opening [my] mind and heart to people...
[i] became much more friendly, happier with my family, [i] get out more with friends,[i] quit having a LOG on my shoulders, and people can get closer; without [me] biting their heads off...

This is what { I } did; but remember [you] have to find something that [you] can feel better about in life....
: New Friends
: New Job
: Take a Hobby
: Volunteer