With all the things that he has accomplished and given to this world, Gandhi has always been a figure that I have looked up to; so reading Gandhi's Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World was definitely something I enjoyed reading. Each one of these 10 Fundamentals have most definitely been applied to my life one way or another. I feel that even if I incorporate all the fundamentals into my life, almost each and everyone of these is still an area of growth that I need to continuously work on.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world"
-Mahatma Gandhi
Number 1 was "Change Yourself"- I feel that it is very important to be able to realize that YOU are the one that has to step up and make a difference in your life. There are many people in this world believe that things in life will change by themselves and all we have to do is be there. I sometimes have this mindset too, which isn't good, because in order to make a difference and change something I have to take initiate and change the way I think and act toward the situation.
"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."
-Mahatma Gandhi
Number Two... "You are in control." - I've been doing very well in this aspect. I have learned, over time, how to control my emotions and reactions to any situation I face. There is no reason to be pessimistic and overreact to things that aren't really worth the emotional breakdown. It is important to take responsibility for the way that you feel and think about things, and to realize that no one else should influence that.
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
-Mahatma Gandhi
I am slowly learning to forgive people from my past. I am also doing better at not hold grudges against the things that have happened that weren't necessarily in my favor. It's not worth it. Life moves on, meaning that you have to move on with it. Forgiving the things that have happened in the past will put you at peace with the situation, the person, and especially yourself. It will release you from the incident and open up a whole new section in your mind. Now, with all this peace and space, you have everything to develop and focus on things that are more important and meaningful in your life. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and regret your past due to not fixing things with others. You need to hold your head up high, take that next step, and move on to bigger and better things
"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
-Mahatma Gandhi
"Without action you aren't going anywhere." This section, to me, is very important. It is also one that I need to work on. A lot. I have all these ideas in my head to help others, the world, and myself, but I seem to be going nowhere with it. At least that's what I feel like. Just like it read in the article, I need to take action and translate my knowledge into results and understanding. With this I have to make sure to "Take care of this moment." There is no reason to worry about the next moment when you don't really have control over it anyways.
"Happiness is when what you think. what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
-Mahatma Gandhi
I feel that in order to change the world, one of the most important fundamentals to doing it is to be able to communicate. And not just to simply communicate, but to be able to be social in a congruent, authentic, and true way. That is why I really liked the 9th fundamental, "Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self." When you speak to others, all you need to do is be yourself and don't fake it. Speak about things that YOU are passionate about and that YOU believe in. Don't be afraid to speak out just because you think the other person might be judging you. If they see that you're being authentic in your words and not having a phony conversation, you will have their respect. And that's what matters. When the words that come out of your mouth are aligned with the thoughts and beliefs that you have, you have a voice. And with that voice, you can do so much... like change the world. :)
Self confidence is key to one's growth. I completely agree with the message of the second article, Be Optimistic, it Builds Your Self-Confidence. Self confidence might be the key to one's growth as a person, but in order to have self confidence, one must have an optimistic outlook on everything. I really like The Optimist Creed. It gives a great summary of how to be proactive in being optimistic.
This is The Optimist Creed:
Promise yourself...
-To be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind
-To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
-To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
-To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
-To think of only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect the best.
-To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
-To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
-To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
-To give so much time to improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
-To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
The two statements that really apply to my life are "Promise yourself to make all your friends feel that there is something in them" and "Promise to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile." I make sure to make my friends feel good and show them they are unique, smart, and beautiful. It is important to me for my friends to be happy with themselves and their lives. That way, everyone is going to be in a good mood and optimistic about themselves and each other. It's important to spread the positive feelings around and not to keep it to yourself. I find myself smiling at random people I walk past as I am going to classes or to work. That's not a bad thing at all and, now, I make sure to do it everywhere I go. It's that whole concept of making sure to smile at every person you see because, you never know, it can even save a life.
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