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#Becoming a better person is not an easy task, but it is one of the most fulfilling task you could ever take on. The truth is, all of us can identify some faults we have, and something about ourselves we would like to change as none of us are perfect. The man you see around the corner and think he got it going on I can bet have some things that he would love to change.
If you are one of the billions of people in the world at this very moment who would like to make a change, here are 10 Steps of Being a better person
1. Take some time to identify your faults or things you want to change
2. Be willing to change
3. Love yourself, faults and all
4. Compliment Yourself often
5. Don’t make excuses
6. Guess what, being angry will not help so stop being angry
7. Practice forgiveness
8. Be honest
9. Listen to people
10. Identify the person you want to be and aim to be that person
1. Take some time to identify your faults or things you want to change
Being objective by taking a step back and look at ourselves is not an easy thing to do. It is very easy to identify the faults in another person but when it comes to us it is not very easy. That is why the Bible says to us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”- Matthew 7:1-3
We must understand that none of us are perfect; therefore it is very important for us to take a step back and look at the man in the mirror.
2. Be willing to change
You will never #be a better person, or be the person #God created you to be until you can first look at your faults, and then be willing to change. These two goes together. No one says it will be easy, but with the help of God you can be a better person
You will not grow until you are open to change, and then work towards it. What is it that you think you need to change? Maybe it is to change how you speak to others, to read your Bible more, to be a better parent, or maybe you need to stop eating too much junk food. Whatever it is change will not come unless you make an effort to do so.
3. Love yourself, faults and all
This one may be very difficult to do but how can we expect someone to love us if you do not first love ourself? It took me years to actually get to this point where I started loving myself in spite of my faults. There may be something about yourself that you do not like, but that is not a license for you to hate yourself. You don’t have to love the faults, but you should learn to appreciate yourself and that God loves you and you are special.
How do you love yourself?
You can start loving yourself by:
a. Overcoming negative believes about yourself. Many people find it very difficult to overcome negative thoughts they may have of themselves; these believes often comes from people around them and they then internalize these concepts of themselves. Refuse to accept these negative believes about yourself
b. Speak live over yourself. When you identify negative thoughts about yourself start replacing these with healthy thoughts. For example, instead of saying that ‘I can never do anything right’ replace that thought with, ‘I may have done some things wrong, but I have also done a lot of things right.
c. Stop focusing on all your negatives. Focusing on all the negatives in your life is a recipe for failure and disaster. If you find yourself complaining that everything that happens to you is bad, try to find a little evidence to the contrary; it is very unlikely that everything is really bad.
d. Appreciate yourself for who you really are, not who people says you are, or have you to believe about yourself.
e. Work on improving yourself. Maybe you need to go back to school and complete your education, maybe you need to see a counselor, a Pastor or someone who can help you and you also trust to help you to overcome some of the things you been through. Whatever you need to do, get to it.
4. Compliment Yourself often
You got an ‘A’ on an exam, or maybe your always speaking harshly to your spouse but today you spoke kindly to your spouse today, compliment yourself. Maybe you went out and got yourself a new shirt, don’t matter how small nothing is wrong with complimenting yourself. You have always highlighted the bad things in your life, maybe it is time you stop highlighting the negative and start highlighting the positive things.
5. Don’t make excuses
[tweetthis]God made us to be progressive. Let go of yesterday and embrace your tomorrow as God has more in store for you[/tweetthis]
You have no excuses of why you behave or do the things you do. Maybe you grew up in a negative home environment, one in which you were harshly spoken to, often mistreated and abuse, your mother was an alcoholic, these things should never have happen and are sad, but that is no excuse why you should continue to live in the past.
God made us to be progressive, not to be stuck in the pass. The Apostolic Paul realized this and so in his letter to the Philippians he said, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”- Philippians 3:13-14
What is it you are still holding on to? Let go of the pass and get a hold of your future.
[tweetthis] What is it you are still holding on to? Let go of the pass and get a hold of your future. [/tweetthis]
Blaming your spouse, boss, or parents or someone else is fruitless and won’t get you very far. Instead of pointing fingers and making excuses about why you aren’t happy or successful in your personal or professional life, own your mistakes and learn from them. When you do this, you will start become a better person.
6. Guess what, being angry will not help so stop being angry
Letting go of anger is easier said than done, but it is not only possible but is for your own wellbeing. While anger is a perfectly normal emotion, you can’t let it fester. When this happens, you may make unwise decisions, and more important, it may affect your health. Research suggests pent up anger can cause digestive problems, difficulty sleeping, and even #heart disease.
To help you let go of anger, Roya R. Rad, MA, PsyD, suggests you write your feelings down, pray or meditate, or begin to manage your thoughts.
7. Practice forgiveness
When we allow bitterness to lodge in our spirit it will grow and fester and will only lead to pain and destruction. Unforgiveness is believe to be the root cause of many physical, emotional and spiritual issues we face in the world today. The apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians 4:31-32 shows the manifestation of unforgiveness. These are: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking (which is slandering). If we allow unforgiveness to remain it will cause problems in our lives and we will not live a happy and fulfill life.
When we refuse to forgive it puts us in bondage to other person as we will never be able to greet that person peaceable, everything they do will bother us, and we will not live in peace. Joyce Marter, LCPC, suggests you forgive and let go of resentment. She notes, “If for no other reason than for yourself, forgive to untether yourself from the negative experiences of the past. Take time to meditate, and give thanks for the wisdom and knowledge gained from your suffering. Practice the mantra, ‘I forgive you and I release you.’
8. Be honest
Challenge yourself to always try to practice honesty. It will not come overnight but if you’re a compulsive liar, start small by trying to be honest for 1 day. After you accomplish a smaller goal, increase the goal by 2 or 3.
9. Listen to other people
None of us will ever know everything about ourselves or how to deal with certain aspect of our life’s, we therefore need each other. Similarly, not every time you do something wrong you will realize it so be open to criticism from others. You may not always agree with the other person method or what the person said, but still listen as you may learn something about yourself that you never knew.
10. Identify the person you want to be and aim to be that person
What is your ideal self? Maybe you want to be a better father, financially savvy, more productive at your workplace, want to be a better Christian? Whatever it is you need to change about yourself start envisioning the person you want to be and start working towards being that person.
Take a good look at the man in the picture, what are his faults and weaknesses, what does he need to do differently?
Becoming a better person will not come overnight and will never be an easy road but it is one that will reap much rewards. Believe in yourself and know that it is possible to be a better person.
At times you will go back to your old self, but don’t get discourage, nothing good ever comes without a fight.
What other tips have you found useful for becoming a better person?
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