Self Improvement Articles and the Myth of Self Improvement

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Self Improvement Articles and
the Myth of Self Improvement

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Self improvement articles often perpetuate a myth. This is the false notion that our habits, beliefs, jobs, bodies, homes, relationships and so on constitute our Selves. You may well wish to improve your finances, your sense of purpose, or your skills in relating to others, but don’t be fooled into thinking that you need to improve your Self.

What self improvement articles often imply is that it is our Selves, rather than our habits or behaviors that are somehow inadequate, and that there are external standards that we need to achieve in order to experience happiness.

Self improvement is impossible. This is because our Selves (the essence of who we are) are nothing less than Divine, and cannot be improved or changed in any way. The best way to improve our lives is to tap into, and uncover, the strength, power, wisdom, and goodness of our Selves.

While there is usually plenty of room for growth in the way we live our lives, what we would benefit more from than self improvement articles is to read about Self acceptance, and life improvement. In order to create inner peace and wellbeing, and achieve effective life improvement, we need to begin to accept that our Selves are perfect.

We are born filled with love, joy, and connection to the Divine, but from that moment on, most of us begin learning fear and separation. None of us need self improvement; what we need is to get rid of the barriers that have been created between our conscious minds and our true Selves.

This can be a daunting task, as most of us have unwittingly allowed enormous walls of doubt, fear and negativity to be built between our minds and our Selves. The things that stop us living full and joyful lives, in tune with our Selves and the Universe, are the beliefs and habits that we have accumulated during the course of our lifetimes. However, rather than being discouraged by what may seem an impenetrable barrier, we need to start chipping away at it, one tiny bit at a time. Even the smallest shaft of light shining through from your true Self can be very powerful in helping to illuminate the dark corners of your fears.

Self improvement articles that lead us to believe it is our Selves that need changing can reinforce feelings of inadequacy. This idea that we are in some way damaged, flawed, or inferior is deeply harmful to our sense of wellbeing, and in fact makes genuine life improvement difficult if not impossible. By learning to create a strong and deep sense of connection with the highest part of who we are, we can also be much more effective in changing habits, beliefs and behaviors (all of which are learned, not innate).

So how do you begin breaking through the barriers of negative thinking that not only keep you trapped in a cycle of unhappiness, unfulfilling behaviors, and self doubt, but prevent you from connecting with the Divine part of who you are?

Well, the first step to changing anything in life is to be aware that a change is both needed and possible. Until we allow ourselves to realize that certain things are not making us happy, we can’t create the willingness to take action in changing them.

Sometimes awareness can take a while to reach. It can be scary to face up to the fact that there are things you are creating in your life by your actions, inactions and beliefs which are stopping you from living a joyful life. It is scary because it means taking responsibility, not only for the current conditions that you find yourself in, but also for the future that is within your power to change. It may feel a lot easier to blame others, or convince yourself that things are out of your control, but doing this is extremely disempowering. By believing that your current reality is created by other people or by circumstance, you deny yourself the ability to create a new, more positive reality.

After awareness has been reached, the next step in creating change is to understand the nature of the issue, and to try and gain clarity about its causes. By understanding how we are blocking the things we desire from entering our lives, we are much better able to create a plan for releasing these blockages.

Say you have become aware that your love life is making you miserable. After acknowledging this fact, you may begin to understand that this unhappiness stems from getting involved in relationships with partners that don’t appreciate you. With the courage to look deeper, you may realize that you are choosing and staying with these partners because you have convinced yourself that you are somehow undeserving of love and appreciation.

If you were taking the advice of many self improvement articles, you would most likely be convincing yourself that the reason you felt undeserving of a healthy relationship was the fact that you were ‘too fat,’ ‘too unsuccessful,’ or too whatever to feel good about yourself and be treated well.

This would likely lead you into a cycle of trying to become thinner or more successful in an attempt to be ‘worthy’ of love, often followed by disappointment, frustration, and even lower feelings of self worth. This disappointment may stem from being unable to reach your goals, or from reaching them and finding it doesn’t gain you the results you crave. It can also lead to the trap of feeling that you are never ‘thin enough,’ ‘successful enough,’ or just plain ‘good enough,’ no matter how good the external realities appear.

If any of this rings true in your experience, maybe it is time to stop believing those self improvement articles, and focus instead on ridding your life of the garbage that obscures the goodness and wholeness of your Self. The ways I have found most effective in getting rid of the psychic garbage of negative thinking and limiting beliefs are these;

Identify what area of life is creating dissatisfaction.
Figure out what beliefs and behaviors are creating a gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Work on replacing those beliefs through reading, journaling, therapy, life coaching, use of affirmations and visualization, and Emotional Freedom Technique in whatever combination of methods feels right for you.
Stay committed to the process of reprogramming negative thinking, and realize that beliefs which have been formed over many years can take a while to dislodge.
Prioritize your health, happiness, and wellbeing by making time to do really good and nurturing things for yourself. Eat healthy food, get rest, exercise and be with positive people. Get out in nature and appreciate the world that you are a part of. Do things that you love doing, and that express your creativity. Doing these things sends a powerful message to your subconscious that you value your Self, and your Self will respond by radiating ever increasing feelings of wellbeing into your life.

Forget about any self improvement articles that suggest you are somehow lacking. Your Self needs no improvement, it simply needs to be freed from the prison of self doubt and negativity and allowed to shine with its Divine energy.