The year 2020 is over. As we start 2021, why not resolve to become the best versions of ourselves? Here are four tips on where to begin.
Find Love
There are many quotes, idioms, and clichés about being in love. One example is, “It’s not being in love that makes me happy. It is the person that I am in love with that does.” Another is the famous line “you complete me” from Tom Cruise’s mega-hit 1996 movie Jerry McGuire. If we look closely at these two phrases, along with many others about love, we realize that there is always somebody else aside from you. You cannot find or be in love if you are by yourself.
But why is that? Why do we need another person to make us happy? Perhaps the right word is not happy, but rather, happier. A man can be happy by himself. He can find success at the workplace and in life. He can share wonderful moments with his family and friends.
Yet human beings long for a deeper connection with a special someone. Your spouse is your companion; she is your trusted friend. She is also your rock, your shoulder to cry on, your source of hope when things seem hopeless.
So, find her, any way you can. Talk to your friends and ask them if they know someone. Put yourself out there so that people can meet you. Enroll in a credible executive matchmaking site. Once that person is near you, you will realize how much better your life can be.
Embrace Your Personality
No two human beings are created equal. Even identical twins have differences in personality and genetic makeup. I am not you, and you are not your mother or father. They are also not your grandparents or friends.
But many of us try to be. We see athletes and celebrities on TV and try to imitate them. We copy their mannerisms, their words, and even their looks. They are successful, so we think if we behave like them, we will also be. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Still, one thing is to admire someone. Another very different is to lose yourself in that person, to let go of your identity in search of something else. Michael Jordan did not become Michael Jordan by copying Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. Sure, he incorporated some of their games into his. But he also stayed true to himself.
Your personality is your personality. It doesn’t mean you have to be stubborn and say, “This is who I am, and that’s it.” We all need some tweaking and some improvement. The key is to still be you, just a better version of yourself.
Get In Touch With Nature
Mankind left the cave more than five thousand years ago. We started developing tools with copper and its alloys, thus giving birth to the Bronze Age. Since then, we haven’t stopped building things. From ships to airplanes, rockets, and smartphones, human beings are in constant technological development.
But some things haven’t changed. We still enjoy a walk in the park with our spouses and our children. People haven’t stopped going on hiking trips. We explore our oceans, rivers, and lakes. There must be something to it, some benefit that we get. Otherwise, we wouldn’t do it. We wouldn’t waste our time.
Aside from providing us with oxygen to breathe and stay alive, why is nature important? Maybe it’s because we find peace, solace, healing, and comfort. We can relieve stress and forget the daily grind of our lives.
Whatever it is, it has been proven that nature is a vital ingredient of a happy life.
Create Good Habits
Excellence in life is not a matter of ability or quantity. Rather, it’s about consistency, repetition, and routine. If I want to lose weight, I can stop eating for a whole week and drop at least 10 pounds. But how long can I keep this up? Worst of all, what is happening to my body as I put it in such a drastic environment?
Creating good habits is about discipline. If we can maintain that discipline for some time, it will be engrained in our brains. The more we do it, the less difficult it will be.
At first, getting up early in the morning will be exhausting, and you will feel tired and grumpy. By the end of the first month, it will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done.
A better you is a happier you. So take the necessary steps to get there. Find love and companionship, embrace who you are, experience nature’s beauty, and build good habits. You’ll start seeing positive changes in your life, changes you would have never expected to happen.