Change comes from within.
Only when a person realizes their flaws can change begin to occur.
A year ago I was in a major slump. I was overweight, unmotivated, and overwhelmed by anxiety. Many friends and family members hinted at those facts. Some would suggest helpful tips like going to the gym, meditating, or even just walking. It was pointless, I was never going to take their words seriously. I thought “Who are they to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing?”
Me a year ago:
Then one day, out of nowhere, I was fed up.
The person I saw in the mirror was unrecognizable, a mere shell of what once was a healthy human being. That moment of sheer disgust in myself was the driving force in my ultimate transformation. From that day on I started investing in my health and growth through positive daily habits. Six months later, after a lot of hard work and dedication, I had lost 50 pounds, found motivation through meditation, and was feeling less anxious.
What made me change was a sense of loss.
The person I knew before was gone.
I hated what I had become.
This realization forced the wheels to turn on what eventually would become a major transformation.
Me post-transformation (apologies for the hideous face):
Some other reasons why a person may change:
- Enduring an existential crisis. An existential crisis is an overwhelming cluster of feelings toward the meaning and purpose of life. These emotions can cause a whirlwind of analysis over the current state of a person’s life. This analysis a lot of the times warrants a person to change major aspects of their current life to accommodate what they perceive as their (new) purpose in life.
- Traumatic experiences. The loss of a loved one, physical or emotional abuse, and a major injury are just a few examples of a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, this unwanted suffering can cause change for the better or for the worse.