Fixing the World - A Road Map to Self Improvement

The way I see it there are two ways of living: fixing the world or enjoying life. If you think this is an exaggeration, well then I don't know what is. I was raised by my parents to believe that life is a gift and there is no reason why one should expect more from it than it's given. I also believed (and still believe) that if you truly desire something in life, you can achieve it.

I grew up during the cold war. When I was young my dad would always tell me I had a big job ahead of me, like being a navy officer, which was way more than I could handle. But, at the same time he would get upset with me if I didn't take immediate action to fulfill his expectations. At the time this did not seem to make much sense to me. I figured if I took immediate action to accomplish something I would be setting a bad example for myself, and I didn't want that.

I later learned that what I was doing by expecting more and acting prematurely made life harder for myself and others. Today I am working toward helping other people live their lives by fixing the world and creating the opportunities they need to make their lives easier and more fulfilling. It is an ever evolving process.

What I have found is that I do have to work to manifest what I want out of life. It's not a matter of simply wishing things will happen because it just won't. Nor does it work the other way around either. You can't sit around and wish away problems, beat yourself up, curse yourself or even act as if you hate yourself.

Instead, when I am frustrated or angry I ask myself "What's the harm in giving myself a little pain?" I find that when I put myself in situations where I can act as if I'm someone other than myself, I come out feeling much better about myself and others. When I can bring myself to really listen to what people are saying, what they have to say and how they're saying it, I usually hear what they have to say and not what I think they're saying. It seems that if I know what someone else is thinking, I know what I want to say, too. I get insight into how the world works, and that makes me much more effective and able to help.

Fixing the world and taking back control of it is a process, too. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice on my part but it is rewarding. I'm a living example of what happens when I am able to take control of my thinking, actions and emotions. This is what I'm working to do every day.