One Lesson A Day Challenge #1— Striving To Become Better Than Who I Was Yesterday
From today, I will write something that I learned throughout the day. We all experience many things throughout the day, but we’re so into our own heads and our own lives that we fail to notice the complex systems that all connect us and allow us to focus on each of our goals as individuals.
I sometimes get aggravated when I have to wait 2 more minutes for a train in the cold. I sometimes get aggravated when the elevator doesn’t come in a “reasonable” time. I sometimes get aggravated when I have to wait in line to buy lunch.
Then I end up complaining about it to someone who also has been aggravated by something small that had inconvenienced them. We both get to bask in our own self-importance while judging the other person for being so petty.
These impermanent and insignificant moments all seem so important at the moment, yet when I am removed from the bustle of the city and the chaotic state of my mind, I have to question: “Why did I have to think or feel this way? What’s all the rush? Why should these little ‘setbacks’ set the mood for the rest of the day? Why should I even let these thoughts bother me?”
These reflections make me realize that I take things too seriously and am too self-absorbed. I need to continue to work on myself and figure out where I am weak so that I can work on them while also recognizing my own strengths, who I am as an individual, and what I really stand for.
Then I also think about what to do with this platform. I am always humbled when people mention that they found my content helpful. When I receive private emails or kind words in the comment section, I am happy yet saddened.
Happy because I love when I am able to help people, but saddened because there are so many people in this world who just needed a few words of encouragement and a sense of meaning. So many people live without anyone telling them encouraging words.
“You have so much potential. Strive to become the best version of yourself.”
“You can be so much more than you are right now. Stop being content with who you are and learn how to become better every single day.”
“You have no idea how far you can go if you align yourself to a goal and work hard toward it.”
“You are deserving of love. Don’t be so harsh on yourself and treat yourself like you’re someone you are responsible for helping.”
The words I wrote were originally directed toward myself. I was initially writing to motivate, inspire, and change myself. So whenever I hear that I am helping other people find reasons to improve themselves, their relationships, and their lives, it makes me want to try harder to become a better person so that I could share even more insightful and helpful content for those who are kind enough to read my writing.
How this will help me:
- write down what I learned and observed throughout the day. Active reflection will help me figure out the things I need to work on and congratulate myself on the things I did well
- unload some of the mental stress that builds up and be able to freely think out loud without burdening anyone who might also be going through their own struggles and might not have enough time and energy to support you every day
- create content online that will help others find my writing, learn who I am, and read my writing
Maybe, just like with my other stories, I can help someone who is struggling or experiencing a similar issue as me with my epiphanies/realizations.
Maybe someone will read one of my daily recollections and find a solution for the problems I’ve been having.
I’d like to think that by sharing my life on this public platform, the improvement of my life could become a collaborative effort.
Maybe I can also inspire other people to start challenging themselves with initiatives similar to this one. I believe people need challenges to contend with to find meaning in their lives. Challenging yourself every day will give you meaning and a sense of purpose to go through the day.
If we as individuals have challenges in our lives that are compelling enough, every day will be filled with feelings of growth and progression. I believe that we cannot move forward without a strong and true sense of our own personal “why”.
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
When I first started writing, I started with this initiative. I told myself that I would be more attentive to the thoughts that I think, the words that I speak, and the actions I take.
When I had a goal to reach for every day, my days became brighter and my life instantly became more interesting. When you fall into a routine, life can become a blur and each day might seem like the previous day.
It’s easy to drift along in life and only take what it gives you. A lot of us live without a sense of direction or meaning. We create a vague destination in the distance that we refuse to acknowledge or manifest into reality.
We don’t define our dreams and dare to reach for them. Why? As soon as we commit and take responsibility for our lives, the unforgiving face of the unknown appears in front of us. We have to clearly define what success means and what failure means.
That means we can’t drift along in the sea anymore. That means we can’t continue to be victims of life — whatever happens to us is not our fault. It’s chance. It’s destiny. We have no control, so why bother?
But what happens when we drift along? What happens when we build our houses on sand instead of a strong foundation? Soon, a tidal wave will crush you and you will drown without proper training and proper equipment. You will lose everything and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
So instead of shaking your fist at the sky and blaming fate, nature, or God or whatever is outside of your control, why not focus on what you can work on: Yourself.
When you change yourself and become a better version of yourself, you can change the world.
You can influence other people to start changing themselves; when they see you improving and striving to become a better version of yourself, they will clearly see their own flaws and imperfections that they refuse to acknowledge or improve on. A caveat is that not everyone will want you to hold a mirror up to their faces — they want to stay willfully blind and will not appreciate you reminding them of the things they are unwilling to fix.
You will draw some enemies because there are people who don’t want to change and will never want to change, and having you around as a reminder of their insufficiencies will not make them happy. But that’s okay — they’re the ones you should stay away from anyways.
People who want to be around you for who you are and what you believe in are the ones that you should keep close to you. If they’re willing to change with you, put in an effort to keep them in your life. If they’re unwilling and become resentful toward you, it’s time to cut them off.
I want to start working toward my goals in small pieces. When I approach problems, they start as a looming, dark presence in my head. It is formless potential. There is something of value to be found, but it is not conceptualized yet. My goal is to be a writer and a nuanced thinker.
What does that mean? To be a writer, I have to write, so I will practice writing whenever I can and will at least set aside some time to write one piece a day. I don't really care about who’s reading it because writing is always about what the individual wants to think. It is my way of creatively expressing how I think and how I view the world with the accumulation of my experiences and knowledge.
To be a thinker, I have to think and be willing to be open-minded. Maybe I’ll read think pieces that I disagree with some days and write a commentary about it. Maybe I’ll try something new and write about what I thought about the experience in the moment. Maybe I’ll read a book and write down what I actually thought about it and whether I agree or disagree with the point that was made in the book. There’s no perfect way to become a “better thinker”, but at least it’s important that I am consciously making an attempt to think more deeply or at least be more aware of my thoughts.
I guess I can also label it with numbers to keep track. I’ll also try to be rigid with my schedule but not too harsh on myself where I stop when I fail too often. I want to keep this an annual thing and reflect at the end of the year and see how far I’ve come. I want to grow my followers and potentially have a large following base online so that I can support myself through my writing. Maybe I can already do that but I’m just making excuses because I don’t really have a plan and don’t want to take risks. But… I guess I’ll leave that for another day.
