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“Why do some people feel content not trying to better themselves? Why do they not want to learn and grow as a person?”
I have been ruminating over this for a few days, since a friend and I were discussing it at coffee. I have so many half-thoughts swirling in my head around this subject.
There was a time when I didn’t actively try to learn news things every day. When I would go to work, come home, watch t.v. or go out with friends, then do it all over the next day. There was no effort to become a better me, at least not consistently. I knew I wanted more for myself, but I didn’t know how to start becoming better. I didn’t think I could be better.
When I look back at this time in my life, there is a dark cloud over it. I suffered through several episodes of depression during that time, and often felt stuck. The brightest times during that period were the brief moments of learning. Those few weeks when I signed up for an online nutritionist class- and actually participated, my first stint in network marketing- when I initially started working on mindset, and other similar times. The jaunts into this or that to improve myself, to possibly become more and find a passion and a dream.
Then I would stop. I would get bored, or feel like it was pointless to try to improve myself. I was who I was, right? Why bother trying to think differently? I like who I am. Even worse, when it came to mindset, I quit because it wasn’t “working”. I didn’t see my life getting better right away, so it was useless and clearly I couldn’t be helped. I certainly couldn’t figure out what my dream was, I couldn’t find a long-term passion in any of it.
Through all of that I never realized that growing as a person, by striving to be better everyday and learning new things all of the time, would be what would lead me to being happier overall. That turning the microscope around and looking at myself would lead me to finding my dream. That taking responsibility for my thoughts, feelings and actions would help me feel passionate about something. I never realized that I was holding my own life back.
Now, as you know if you have read many of my other posts, I live for mindset. I firmly believe that changing your mindset can change your life, and that there is absolutely nothing you can not do if you put the work in. The difference to get me to here?
I put in the work.
Little by little, I chipped away at it. I started to see small changes, so I chipped some more. Every day. Every day I put work in… I still do. Slowly, I started to realize how incredibly important it is to my happiness to be an active learner. To try to be a better version of myself daily. What else is life really about, when you get to the actual bottom of it?
So, why do some people feel content not trying to better themselves? Why do they not want to learn and grow as a person? I think it’s because they don’t know the happiness they are missing out on- if they would just keep at it and stay the course. I also think it’s because we, as a society, always want to see big changes immediately. But, that’s not how life actually works. We don’t live in a movie, where the work we put in becomes a two minute montage, and we can just get to the happily ever after.
To help people want to grow, and learn, and become better everyday, I think we all need to start focusing on every day. The work, the successes, the falls, the get-back-ups, the happiness in learning, the stillness and observation in meditating. All of that can, and should, go into every day- and be celebrated every day.
Enjoyed this? Try these:
10 Things to do to Change Your Mindset and Improve Your Life
5 Reasons to Meditate for 5 minutes (or more) Every Day
Available now! 10 Steps to Change Your Mindset & Improve Your Life eBook click here!
Love this post! I think it is easy to become complacent. Especially when learning something new or improving yourself comes at the cost of exiting your comfort zone.
I love your emphasis on small changes leading to larger ones!
Thank you so much! Exiting your comfort zone is one of the hardest and scariest things to do, for sure! And you’re right, I think that’s why it’s so easy sometimes to become complacent. That’s why it’s so important to remember that we only get one go-around!
Thank you for your feedback! <3