The need for spiritual and physical development is beyond doubt. The upbringing of young children is worried by their parents. A man who is older than himself as a person builds himself. But how to organize this process, where to start self-development?
About self-improvement
What to advise to the one who decided to improve himself? First you need to understand what exactly he is going to improve, what is the meaning of the concept of "self-development" for him. Current trends often mean by this term the opportunity to become successful. Not smart, not kind, not talented, but just having achieved some success. But is that the goal that you really need to strive for?
Let's think for a moment: geniuses and just successful people of past years did not read modern books on self-development! But this did not stop them from achieving remarkable results. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine psychological training that can make an artist talented, or a brochure on self-development, which allowed the scientist to make a brilliant discovery. Without a doubt, each of the realized personalities worked a lot on themselves, but it was unlikely that they were methods similar to those recommended today.
About the goals of self-development
An artist who writes his canvases, a writer, a sculptor - they, having not yet taken up work, already imagine the desired result. And the scientist, approaching his discovery, sees a cherished goal: a new device, a proven theorem. The one who thinks about how to start self-development must also imagine what results he wants to achieve. Without realizing this, it’s stupid to start the process of perestroika.
The need for physical improvement can not be reminded once again: the phrase "A healthy mind in a healthy body" speaks very specifically about this. As for the improvement of a different kind, even 30–40 years ago, ideas on this subject were different. To the question of what to do for self-development, answers would be given that fundamentally did not coincide with modern ones. However, a person working on himself would then be sent to literature - to the works of classics.
Jack London. "Martin Eden"
Unlike modern psychologists, who present detailed algorithms of where to start self-development, classical literature does not give concrete advice. She simply offers a person to think, to understand his own soul. And also try to answer the main question about why he is on this earth, what is the meaning of life given to him.
Jack London’s novel, Martin Eden, may well be called a self-development textbook. A young guy, a sailor, having fallen in love with a girl from another circle, begins to work hard on himself, to study and improve, in order to be worthy of his beloved. And it brings generous results: the former sailor becomes a famous writer, a rich man. But once so coveted success once does not give Eden satisfaction, and even passionate feelings leave him. Our hero understands that the beautiful image of his beloved painted by him was just a beautiful dream, and the real girl is limited and selfish.
And what is the outcome? After all this grandiose work on himself, Eden has only a void in his soul, bitter disappointment and a persistent unwillingness to live. The author is certainly proud of his hero and his pursuit of excellence. But the novel speaks of the incorrect arrangement of life priorities, and of the tragic attempts of man to comprehend life and himself in it.
About books
In the world there are many works that help people understand the essence of the universe. But perhaps the best books on self-development are the immortal works of Leo Tolstoy. These are the deepest thoughts about morality and faith, about feelings and duty, about feat, compassion and love. Tolstoy's descriptions and his conclusions are akin to the arguments of the best psychologists who direct their clients through life.
But where does self-improvement come in? There is a wonderful and very correct phrase: “The soul must work!”. The creations of Tolstoy and other classics passed through the mind and soul are the best answer to the question of what to do for self-development. The soul in the process of reading becomes cleaner, the mind becomes brighter, and the person becomes better.
About life approaches
Why does a person live? The following phrase was once popular: "A man was born for happiness, like a bird for flight." But now these words are hardly remembered, they fit poorly into the current coordinate system. Happiness is a shaky concept, it is difficult to teach it. Whether business is success! Successful people are in full view, they worship, envy, try to imitate. It has become a fashionable trend to learn to be successful: the goal of all training and seminars on personal development is precisely such an attitude. But how correct is this?
The richest man of our time - Bill Gates - wrote a will, according to which his children receive practically nothing. What is whim, tyranny? Or, on the contrary, fatherly wisdom, the desire for happiness for their own children? It seems the latter.
Money alone has not made anyone happy. It is unlikely that Gates on the approaches to the heights puzzled over where to start self-development, how to achieve success with its help. His life was simply interesting and full, consisted of his beloved deeds and accompanying any work of finds and disappointments, achievements and misses. In this life there was a thirst for victory and excitement, probably happiness. Leaving their children only money, depriving them of the need to go forward and live for real, means making them deeply miserable. Gates understood this in time.
And again about happiness
Many have a clear substitution of concepts, and success becomes an end in itself. In fact, the psychology of a person’s self-development should be based on his desire for happiness. Success can only be a particular, concomitant result. Example: a girl seeks to get married, she is exclusively interested in “princes” (by the way, a considerable part of psychological literature is devoted to this very thing - to teach young people to always achieve their goals). And, let's even say, for our heroine, armed with the advice of professionals, everything turns out - the “prince" is with her. But will it bring them both happiness? Will their house become warm, will love and joy live in it?
But in real tales, everything is different. Folk characters dream exclusively of love and strive for it, sweeping away any obstacles. Is it because the endings of fairy tales are much better than those that await us in real life?
How to be
If you do not set as a specific goal the achievement of success, then what to do? Sit down, like the legendary Emela, on the stove, and wait for the onset of happiness? In no case! For lazy people with an empty soul, it is unlikely to drop by. The path to happiness is hard work, it is an attempt to understand and change yourself in order to become better. Where to start self-development? From books and music, to the perception of beauty (it is not without reason that beauty is said to save the world!). Even with attempts to understand people nearby, with a desire to improve life around (it is difficult to be happy in an inharmonious world!).
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Self-improvement involves serious work on oneself, and in this matter the recommendations of specialists will be more than appropriate. Of course, not all. The instructions to succeed at all costs and to walk towards your goal almost on corpses will never make a person happy. Only those tips that contribute to the real improvement of human qualities will be useful.
What psychologists recommend
It's no secret that people are born different. Wise teachers are needed by absolutely everyone, even the most powerful and talented. But in one case, a good book will take on the role of adviser, and in another, serious help from outside is needed.
What do psychologists tell you? How to start self-development? Although the methods of specialists sometimes differ significantly and are far from indisputable, a number of recommendations are still worth noting. For example, to know yourself, try to understand your goals and desires, soberly assess your strengths and weaknesses, then to work on one and the other, improving as a person. Every person has a limit of possibilities, but self-development allows you to push the boundaries and do what yesterday seemed impossible.
Psychologists have a lot of practical advice in store. For example, to discover something new every day - the process of self-development is endless. And also to break the big goal into stages, so that the achievement process does not seem so complicated. Recommendations will also be useful on how to defeat the laziness inherent in many, how not to give in to difficulties, how to do what you love, and not what you have to.
Additional tips
Psychologist’s advice will be extremely important for people burdened with complexes. Very often, self-development of a person and achievement of the set goal is hindered by inability to communicate and low self-esteem. It is not good to impose one’s will on others - everyone knows this. But it is no better to forever give in, not be able to insist on one’s own, constantly extinguish one’s impulses, needs, desires.
Organizational advice will also be valuable for personal self-development. How to cultivate willpower, overcome obstacles and achieve success? How to spend less time on work, but still do more, how to stop putting things off for later, how not to be afraid of failures and learn from your mistakes? You can teach a person to even read books in a new way, while extracting maximum benefit. Indeed, without the ability to perceive information, self-development is not!
Live in joy
So what is human self-development? This is the path to harmony, to life satisfaction, to happiness. Therefore, the most important and truly invaluable are those tips that encourage a person to be happy. How to live your life fruitfully and healthy? How to get rid of anger and envy, learn to believe in yourself, develop a positive attitude towards yourself and people? The result of self-development should be the ability to love and make friends, the ability to appreciate human warmth and admire beauty. The desire for harmony and perfection in a person in the blood, you only need to direct these impulses in the right direction.