The need for spiritual and physical development is beyond doubt. Parents are concerned about the upbringing of young children. An older person builds himself as a person. But how to properly organize this process, where to start self-development?
On cultivation
What advice would you give to someone who has decided to improve himself? First you need to figure out what exactly he is going to improve, what is the meaning of the concept of “self-development” for him. Modern trends often mean by this term the opportunity to become successful. Not smart, not kind, not talented, but simply achieved some success. But is this the goal to really strive for?
Let's think for a moment: the geniuses and simply successful people of the past did not read modern books on self-development! But this did not prevent them from achieving remarkable results. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine a psychological training capable of making an artist talented, or a self-development pamphlet that allowed a scientist to make a brilliant discovery. Without a doubt, eachrealized personalities worked on themselves a lot, but it was unlikely that these were methods similar to those recommended today.
About the goals of self-development
An artist who paints his canvases, a writer, a sculptor - they already imagine the desired result before starting work. And the scientist, approaching his discovery, sees a cherished goal in front of him: a new device, a proven theorem. Those who think about how to start self-development must also imagine what results they want to achieve. Without realizing this, it is foolish to embark on the process of one's own restructuring.
The need for physical improvement can not be reminded once again: the phrase "A he althy mind in a he althy body" speaks quite specifically about this. As for the improvement of a different kind, even 30-40 years ago, ideas on this score were different. To the question of what to do for self-development, answers would be given that fundamentally do not coincide with modern ones. However, a person working on himself would then also be sent to literature - to the works of the classics.
Jack London. "Martin Eden"
Unlike modern psychologists, who present detailed algorithms of where to start self-development, classical literature does not give specific advice. It simply invites a person to think, to understand his own soul. And also try to answer the main question of why he is on this earth, what is the meaning of the life given to him.
Jack London's novel "Martin Eden" can be called a textbook on self-development. Younga boy, a sailor, having fallen in love with a girl from another circle, begins to work hard on himself, learn and improve himself in order to be worthy of his beloved. And this brings generous results: the former sailor becomes a famous writer, a rich man. But the success that was once so desired does not give Eden satisfaction, and even passionate feelings leave him. Our hero understands that the beautiful image of his beloved he painted was just a beautiful dream, and a real girl is limited and selfish.
And what is the result? After all this grandiose work on himself, Eden is left with only an emptiness in his soul, bitter disappointment and a staunch unwillingness to live. The author, of course, is proud of his hero and his desire for excellence. But the novel also speaks of the wrong arrangement of life priorities, and of the tragic attempts of a person to comprehend life and himself in it.
About books
There are many works in the world that help a person to 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 heroism, compassion and love. Descriptions of Tolstoy and his conclusions are akin to the reasoning of the best psychologists guiding their clients through life.
But what about self-improvement? There is a wonderful and very correct phrase “The soul must work!”. The works 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. Soul in the process of readingbecomes purer, the mind becomes brighter, and the person becomes better.
About life approaches
What does a person live for? The following phrase was once popular: "Man is born for happiness, like a bird for flight." But now these words are hardly remembered, they do not fit well into the current coordinate system. Happiness is a vague concept, it is difficult to teach it. What a success! Successful people are in full view, they bow, envy, try to imitate. It has become a fashionable trend to teach to be successful: the goal of all trainings and seminars on personality development is precisely this attitude. But how right is that?
The richest man of our time - Bill Gates - wrote a will, according to which his children receive practically nothing. What is this - whim, tyranny? Or, on the contrary, paternal wisdom, the desire for happiness for their own children? It is the latter that appears.
Money alone has never made anyone happy. It is unlikely that Gates, on the outskirts of 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 favorite things and finds and disappointments accompanying any work, achievements and mistakes. In this life there was a thirst for victory and excitement, probably happiness. Leaving your children only money, depriving them of the need to move forward and truly live, means to make them deeply unhappy. Gates figured it out just in time.
And again about happiness
For many, there is a clear substitution of concepts, and success becomes an end in itself. ActuallyIn fact, the psychology of a person's self-development should be based on his desire for happiness. Success can only be a private, concomitant result. Example: a girl aspires to get married, she is only interested in "princes" (by the way, a considerable part of psychological literature is devoted to just this - to teach young people to always achieve their goals). And, let's even say, 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 settle in it?
But in real fairy tales everything is different. Folklore characters dream only about 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?
What to do?
If you do not set your specific goal to achieve success, then what to do? To sit down, like the legendary Emelya, on the stove, and wait for the onset of happiness? In no case! To lazy people with an empty soul, it is unlikely to look. 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, the perception of beauty (not without reason it is said that beauty will save the world!). Even from trying to understand people around, from the desire to improve life around (it's hard to be happy in a disharmonious world!).
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Self-improvement involves serious work on oneself, and in this matter, the recommendations of experts will be more than appropriate. Of course, not all. Instructions to achieve success at any cost andstepping towards your goal almost over corpses will never make a person happy. Only those tips that contribute to a real improvement in human qualities will be useful.
What psychologists recommend
It's no secret that people are born different. Absolutely everyone needs wise teachers, even the strongest and most talented. But in one case, a good book will take on the role of an adviser, and in another, a person needs serious outside help.
What will psychologists suggest? 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 taking note of. For example, to know yourself, try to understand your goals and desires, soberly assess your strengths and weaknesses, so that later you can work on both, improving as a person. Any person has a limit of possibilities, but self-development allows you to push the boundaries and accomplish what seemed impossible just yesterday.
Psychologists have a lot of practical advice in stock. For example, every day to discover something new for yourself - the process of self-development is endless. And also break down a big goal into stages so that the process of achieving it does not seem so difficult. Recommendations will also be useful on how to overcome the laziness inherent in many, how not to give in to difficulties, how to do what you love, and not what you have to do.
Extra Tips
Extremely important advice from a psychologist will be for people burdened with complexes. Very often the self-development of a person andthe achievement of the goal is hindered by the inability to communicate and low self-esteem. It is not good to impose your will on others - everyone knows that. But nothing is better than always giving in, not being able to insist on one's own, constantly extinguishing one's impulses, needs, desires.
Organizational advice will also be valuable for the self-development of the individual. How to cultivate willpower, overcome obstacles and achieve success? How to spend less time on work, but at the same time do more, how to stop postponing things for later, how not to be afraid of failures and learn from your mistakes? You can even teach a person to read books in a new way, while extracting the maximum benefit. Indeed, without the ability to perceive information, there is no self-development!
Live in joy
So what is human self-development? This is the path to harmony, to satisfaction with life, 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 he althy? 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 is in the blood of a person, you just need to direct these impulses in the right direction.
