Do you work on improving yourself? Or do you think you're fine just the way you are?

Question

If you strive to improve, what has motivated you to do so?
If you like yourself the way you are, have you always done so?

Answer 1

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

What I've realized as a truth is that the world outside me is changing constantly and my own tendency is to want to stay the same. I like the restful state, of being able to relax, the feeling of being secure without having to be challenged.

While I can enjoy this state today, I also know that the reality of life changing around will eventually disrupt my cozy comfort. I will become aware of this when I start to get bad feelings about things and my life in general. Then I know my rest is over and it's time to take a new action to adapt myself to the outside changes.

The longer I resist changing myself the more stiff, stagnant and resistant I become. I grow old from disuse. It's very much like the 'use it or lose it principle', which applies to exercise. If I don't do the exercise to let go of the old worn out parts of myself, then I become stiff with age and have less ability to adapt to make a change when it's needed. If one becomes way too stiff, then one's energy ceases to flow and one's survival starts to be threatened. One gets sick when one's energy stagnates. The longer one keeps a habit that one knows should be changed, and doesn't do it, the more ingrained and a part of oneself it becomes, thus also making it harder to let go of.

So rest with the downside of your wave and regenerate in your retreat, but be aware when it's time to start moving again and meet the challenge of the next rising wave.

Challenges, confronting those parts of ourselves that need to be let go of are what keep us alive and supple. Watching nature and the world around and how we feel inside with our gut emotions is our inner guide to know what it is we should be doing in any given moment: rest/recuperate or challenge/respond.

Betsy

Answer 2

I like to improve myself, and try to do so, however; some things I try to improve never will be as I want them. Striving to be a better person is good because then you don't slack off too much and go the other way. There is always something you can do to better yourself. If you don't think so , then I suppose its okay, but I think its good to strive and grow. Rather than to stay the same and be stagnant and never progress any further through out the years. Life, Love of God, and family, and just to know that I have done something that is good and progressive is motive enough.

Answer 3

OK--- but there is a perfect way to hold your finger , , Right ? and untill I get that down I've got to keep trying ,, oh wait,,, that would be obsessive wouildn't it , so I can't do that , Or mabey I should , What is the right thing to do ,, Oh I wish I could do the right thing , mabey that finger would be alright if I just left it alone , Or should I ? Oh , the stress !! Mabey it's just , ,,, that I'm trying to hard , or,, never mind .
I'm going to just pretend I'm fine the way I am , You and me will know Otherwise but , as for everybody else they'll think I think I'm fine,,,

Answer 4

I think even though you are happy within yourself you are constantly learning new things through experiences in life, it could come from something you read or something you watch.

Personally I do my best to improve my life through education and reading...and talking to different people (thankfully I live in a community that has many diffrent cultural and personal lifestyles) and trying new things.

This helps me grow as a person, a mother, lover, and friend.

Answer 5

My wife and children have helped improve me so that I don't just go out and beat the hell out of people anymore.
That was 15 years ago.
I am a much better person today. I'd rather talk my way out of a fight than get arrested or severely hurt someone.

Answer 6

I think all of us are in a state of change whether or not we reallize it. We're all moving and growing and changing just at different rates.

For instance, limited thinking produces limited living. Broader and more self aware and empowered thinking produces far greater results and larger, happier living.
So in my youth, I was motivated toward change because of inner pain and a screwed up life.(dysfuntional family issues)
In my mid-life, I was motivated toward change because of inner pain, (dysfunctional marriage issues & addiction to cigarettes),
Twenty years later I am motivated toward change to better my surroundings, and be as healthy as I can to enable me to live well, and long with my repaired and renewed marriage and resolved family history issues.

Seems it's all worked out well . . . change has been viewed and accepted as a friend come to teach. I do like myself and my life now even though I now realize it is still always. . . continuing to change.

Answer 7

Holding on to the best parts, happy for the most part. hoping to not have to make make major changes, but will try if I have to. Love education so no worries there---just can't get enough of education, and isn't that improvement in itself?

Answer 8

I have o work in my interpersonal skills. I'm not doing it yet, but I know I will have to at some point, because this way it's going to be very difficult to be happy in life. And yes, change is a natural thing even if we sometimes resist it.

Answer 9

Since the day I was I have always believed that we should constantly look into our selves to find flawess and then fix them.The problem with me is that I have a problem with everybody no matter where I go thus the problem is in me and now I must realize what it is in order to fix it.

Answer 10

Yes I try to improve myself. I tend to read alot of self-esteem and motivational books/articles. I also try to pay attention to what I eat.