#51: We Can Become Better

What does it truly mean to Grow or to Become better?
 
These very plain and ordinary words used daily by most everyone. Let’s dig a little deeper to gain a bit more insight.
 
Naturally, it means that we must change from who we are today. To admit our own shortcomings and to change ourselves for the better. In a sense, it means that we can’t just stay the same as we are now.
 
If so, then is it self-contempt? Does growing and becoming better require ourselves to, perhaps, self-hate?
 
Yet, we all know the importance of loving ourselves. Because if not, then our body and mind will likely suffer. To be sure, self-hate can inflict an enormous damage to our physical and mental health. And most of all, it’ll impede our chances of finding true happiness in life. In the worst case, it can even make us take away our own life.
 
So, growing and becoming better means that I can’t just stay the same as I am now. It almost sounds like self-contempt, and if that implies self-hate, then it means that I can’t love myself. But then, that can’t be good for my body and mind, which leads me to doubt the efficacy of self-contempt. If so, then I should be satisfied with the way I am now. Act like everything is hunky-dory and nothing needs to change. But then again, wouldn’t that mean I can’t grow and become better . . . ?
 
We sometimes find ourselves going around in circles like this.
 
To break away from this circular dooms logic, let us ask ourselves this key question: Can Growing and becoming better coexist with Loving ourselves? That is, can we manage both at the same time? Or, do they have to be an either/or? When we question ourselves hard and long enough, we come to realize what’s so often misconstrued.
 
Precisely, that is, this notion of Self-contempt. It’s that We can’t just stay the same as we are now doesn’t necessarily have to mean Self-hate. When we accept that simple idea, we come to realize that Growing and becoming better can indeed be compatible with Loving ourselves. That we can manage both at the same time.
 
No matter how young we are, or how old we get, we all must grow and become even better as a person. This applies to everyone, from children to the elderly. It's a lifelong duty for the better tomorrow of everyone in this world. For the happiness of each and every one of us.
 
We’re all in this together. Together, we can do even better. That’s why it’s each and every one of our responsibility to honestly pursue global peace. With an open heart/mind, to forge a cooperative relationship of respectful care for one another.
 
“I’ve already grown so much as a person, so I don’t need to anymore.”
“It’s too much work to pursue growth, so it’s not for me.”
 
The moment we start to gravitate toward these thoughts, we begin our own downward trajectory. And the accumulation of each of ours collectively shapes into the downward trajectory for humanity. To prevent such tragedy, each and every one of us must continue to grow and become even better.
 
To continue growth, it’s crucial that we love ourselves. Including Ourselves with many shortcomings, and even Ourselves of the past who’ve made shameful mistakes that make us cringe now. Let us love ourselves in our entirety and acknowledge that we have lots of room for growth. Let us admit that we’re far from perfect, so we can all become even better.

​We can strive every day to change ourselves for the better.
 
As surprising as it may be, when we grow, that ability to change – in and of itself – boosts our self-esteem, which in turn liberates us to love ourselves even more.
 
On the contrary, when we refuse to grow, that inability to change – in and of itself – depletes our self-esteem, which in turn shackles us from truly loving ourselves. And in some cases, it even goes so far as to breed self-hate.
 
If so, then we surely want to choose the path leading to love by growing and becoming better. Even if we’re progressing slowly, it’s all right as long as we’re unequivocally progressing along that path. As long as we’re striving to grow and become even better. For our own selves, and for our world. Each and every one of us has the choice to do just that.

Read Theme: Perspective