Infinite Inspiration: Change yourself for good

By Venkateswarlu Kadiveti
Staff Writer

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom” — Confucius

One of my favorite quotes regarding the formula of success and failure comes from the motivational speaker Jim Rohn.  As he puts it, “A few simple disciplines practiced every day will lead to success and a few errors in judgment repeated every day will lead to failure.” This is a profound statement; it is important for us to change our lives in everyday disciplines.

Always be thankful for what you have already accomplished. Count your blessings at least twice a day. This will give you positive energy. Believe that you have potential to do more.

Everything takes time to learn, and even more time is needed to practice and make it a habit. It is always good to start with small things in a slow and steady manner. This will boost your confidence and encourage you to take bigger steps. As a caution, do not attempt to make overwhelming changes, which can lead to stress and loss of confidence. Be patient and practical with your expectations.

Remember Newton’s law of inertia. We can apply it to our habits too. The law of inertia is the tendency of an object to resist a change in motion. According to Newton, an object will stay at rest or stay in motion unless acted on by a net external force. So old habits, too, need an external force, called self-discipline, to bring out new, healthy habits.

Avoid cynics and be immune to criticism. When you adopt changes, guard against negative people. Always remember that only failed people will discourage you and claim that life is what it is. Successful people, on the other hand, will tell you how easy it is to adopt new disciplines and offer you proof of the benefits that change has to offer.

Try to put yourself in the company of similarly motivated people and achievers. If you want to lose weight, join a fitness club immediately. If you want to write a book, start associating with publishers and authors close to your community. If you want to learn a new skill, hang around people who are masters of that skill. This will help tremendously in adopting changes fast and retaining them for life.

As Henri Bergson wrote, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”

So make small, slow and steady changes towards new disciplines for big, rapid and persistent results in future.

Venkateswarlu Kadiveti is  a student in the International Dentist Program.