Almost every human being would like to improve and become better people as they move through life. Success, happiness, and goals often revolve around someone’s ability to continue growing as a person.
Of course, this is easier said than done. The desire to improve alone is insufficient when it comes to growing and bettering yourself truly. So what can you do? Let’s start small and simple. Here are three ways to become a better human today.
1. Examine Yourself
To become a better person, you must first begin with the person who you are now. You can’t figure out which direction would be most favorable for you if you don’t even know where you’re beginning. Here are some things about yourself that you should examine. The knowledge helps you start your journey into growing and improving as a human being.
· Your Identity
Your identity often relates to what you believe about yourself, what groups you feel most of, and how you perceive the person that you are. It can be helpful to consider where these specific ideas you have about your identity come from, whether you still feel like those identities are yours, and if you’re not satisfied with your beliefs and actions. Some of the essential portions of a human being’s identity come from the more prominent groups they’re a part of, such as their gender, race, or sexuality, according to research. How big of an aspect do these factors take upon you?
· Your Values
Your values are the core beliefs that exist at the center of your being. They’re what truly defines you. Think of your ideals, what matters to you, who you are, and the kinds of people you should be spending your time with. Examining your values allows you to understand better your being, your goals, and where you should be spending your energy in life. Sometimes, examining those values gives you the chance to reflect on them. Thus, you learn if you need to make changes or align yourself better with them.
· Your Actions and Behavior
Examining how you behave can be difficult, as you have to take an honest look at actions you may not have been proud of. That’s why it’s an essential step in becoming a better human. Think about different aspects of your behavior. How do you respond to lose, stress, failure, and anger? How do you manage complex and negative emotions? Finally, how do you treat the people around you? Answering these questions will grant you much-needed insight into your psyche.
· The Changes You Want As A Human Being
Now that you’ve considered your identity, your values, and your behavior, you have enough information to examine what you’d like to change about yourself. What things do you want to work on? Don’t stick to generic descriptions. Instead, dig deep and find the exact, broken down, specific meanings of each desire. What do you mean when you say you want to be more in touch with your hobbies? Do you mean you want to cut down on other commitments? Or do you want to devote more time and effort to them or something else entirely?
2. Work On Your Interests and Your Strengths
If you’re not sure where to start with becoming a better human being, an excellent bet lies in working on things that are already of interest to you. Spending your time improving what you know you already have sounds counterproductive, but let’s face it – no one can ever be good at everything, so you’ll want to focus on a few things you like instead of many things you’re not sure you enjoy. Here are some tips for focusing on these areas:
· Do The Things You Love
There’s a lot of pressure to be “good” at everything, but sometimes finding joy and fulfillment is more than enough. Learning to understand that it’s okay to do what you love even if you’re not very good at it is a decisive step in improving yourself. So paint even if the rest looks messy. Sing even if you’re tone-deaf. Above all, try new things even if it takes you a while to stop being very bad at them!
There’s a lot of happiness, joy, and positive thinking to be found in things that fill your soul, even if they don’t fit the idea of “success” to others. And here’s the kicker – by repeatedly doing the things you love without worrying about technical skills, you’ll build your skills over time and get better and better.
· Explore Talents
Not everything you’re good at will keep or hold your interest, and that’s fair. But before you right your talents off, fully explore the skills, strengths, and abilities you have. There are many hidden talents you may not have discovered and a fair few strengths that you haven’t explored enough to decide if you like them or not fully.
And there are many things you could excel in if you just gave them a chance! Basically, take all the time you need to explore those skills of yours. Be patient and don’t expect that everything will reveal itself to you immediately – and remember that even talent can only take you so far, and there comes a time where practice, motivation, and commitment to perfect the skill of a craft matter much more than initial aptitude.
· Bring Yourself Into A State Of “Flow.”
“Flow” is a concept that refers to the act of being absorbed in the “zone,” which typically occurs when you are engaged in fulfilling work, an interesting hobby, or a subject of passion. It means you’re so deeply engaged and feeling positive in something that you enter an almost dissociative state of complete focus.
Entering a state of flow means finding something that is moderately challenging – too easy, and it’s boring and too hard, and it gets stressful – so you remain intrigued and concentrated. Anything can bring you into a flow state, but passions, hobbies, creative pursuits, and other personal interests tend to have the best effect. When something makes you enter that flow state, you know it’s something that you truly love, and that is right for you, so bring yourself into that state as often as you can!
3. Improve Your Relationships With Others
Being a better human is often about more than just your relationship with yourself and your personal life. If you’ve ever looked at someone and thought they were a good person, you likely made that judgment because of how they interacted with other people, not because of the personal struggles that you weren’t even privy to.
This doesn’t mean that you should define your “goodness” as a person by others’ perceptions of you. Rather, it’s a testament to how important the way you treat others is and how it reflects your deepest values and true self. To become a better human, you must work on your relationships with others. Here’s how to begin:
· Greet People Who You See
You don’t need to give everyone that you spot a big hurrah of a good morning or good afternoon. But a general greeting is always a kind thing to do. A little nod at someone whose eyes you meet walking by, a smile at the person seated opposite you on the train, and a “How are you?” to the person behind the counter. All of these are methods of greeting that don’t overstep comfortable levels. And, with people who you do know and meet directly, give direct greetings. They don’t have to be too long. Indeed, anything at all to show that you’re present and want to acknowledge those around you.
· Be Respectful Of Others
People often like to say others must earn respect. It’s important to distinguish two different kinds of respect. One is the kind that should be earned, such as the respect you’d give to an inspirational person or a figure of authority. The other is the kind that you should give to everyone – basic, bare minimum respect for the presence of different thinking, living human beings around you. Affording primary care to others means understanding that they are well-rounded, whole people who are complex and unique. As such, you should treat them as you would want to be treated – a mark of basic decency. Also, it is an action that must be present in your journey to being a better human.
· Listen To The People Around You
Many people hear, but few ever truly listen. While you’re not obligated to listen to everyone around you – especially those who spew negative, toxic, or hateful rhetoric – but many people want to be heard and to have their voice recognized and respected. Taking the time to listen to others genuinely builds your connections to the people around you and can impact your life and the lives of those around you in incredible, positive ways.
· Think About How Your Actions Affect Others
It’s easy to get caught up in a selfish whirl of self-focused behavior. Things that seem easy to do and simple to you may be harmful or hurtful to others, and the people around you have different perspectives than you do. This doesn’t mean that you should turn into a pushover or a doormat – it means being mindful and aware of your behaviors, the way that they impact the people around you, and if you’re happy with the effect you have on those you spend your time with.
· Help People
The act of being compassionate enough to help others without expecting or wanting anything in return is a beautiful trait of a kind soul. Good deeds done towards others are a mark of altruism, which has a significant effect on your wellbeing and positive thinking, and they help you to shift your focus onto people outside of yourself. Being able to help others means making a difference in the world. In fact, that proves to be a massive part of being a better human.
Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Become A Better Human Being Today
The quest for self-improvement is a complex one, and that journey looks different to everyone. Starting by examining yourself to understand yourself and what you want to change is a good bet, and then moving on to working on your strengths and treating others well are easy transitions. You get to define the kind of human being you want to be. So get out there and find ways to improve that make you happy!
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