LifeThought: When we become better, everything around us becomes better

When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too. — Paulo Coelho

It’s not all about you! It really is not.

You are on your own journey of personal growth and you desire to be a better person and to have a better life. Did it occur to you that everyone around you, your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, even the cashier at the grocery store who doesn’t even know you… everyone wishes you great success on your journey!

We all want you to be the best and have the best life you can have! Do you know why? Because when you become a better, wiser, happier, healthier, more prosperous person, we all benefit from your success!

I’ll share a simple personal illustration. Around the time I turned 40 years old, I decided I wanted to get in better shape. I wanted to start running. My motivation was purely selfish. I was not happy with the way I looked and felt and I wanted to change that. I also thought that going to the gym to exercise, or getting up early in the morning to run, was something that I could do just for me. When I ran, that was time just for me to be by myself and I cherished it selfishly.

As I got in better shape, I lost weight and started to feel better. I even thought, vainly, that I looked better. I started to feel better about myself as a person and that made me happier. I was glad that I was finally doing something just for me!

Well, an odd thing started to happen. My boys noticed that I had more energy to play with them, and that made them happy. Other people noticed that I had lost weight and seemed to be in a better mood. They asked me about the changes and what I had been doing, so I told them about my running and exercising. They smiled and encouraged me to keep it up. Some of them started running, too, and later told me that they were motivated by the changes they saw in me and wanted that for themselves.

So, as it turned out, this selfish desire to improve myself wasn’t just about me. Others benefited from my personal growth. What started out as a selfish desire, I learned, brought happiness or a desire for similar results in others. Once I realized that, that made me even happier!

We do not live in isolation from others. Everything we do impacts the people around us in some, maybe imperceptible way. So grow, learn, improve yourself in any way you can! We all want you to be awesome because your awesomeness will make us better, too!

This is one of my daily “LifeThoughts” posts. If you enjoyed this, or any of my other posts, I’d be honored if you’d share it with your friends and followers!

Do you agree or disagree with what I’ve written? I’d love to hear your comments!