BY ANNA KORSUNSKA (COMD/III)
annak@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." - Flora Whittemore
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Leo Tolstoy
The spring semester started, although you can't tell it from the weather. Yes, the snow has left. But it has been replaced with ice, which makes me miss the snow.
Anyway, with a new semester I always feel a certain feeling of opportunity in the air, the potential of things to come. This particular semester, more than usual, I sense that people around me are feeling it too. Many of my friends have said, "I need to change my lifestyle" or "I need to rethink my life." But it seems to me that people don't know how or where to start.
uckily for you, my dear readers, self-improvement has been my obsession since I was 9 years old. So I am here to help.
The point I want to emphasize is that it is always possible to change your life for the better. I feel like people don't understand this and sink into a state of hopeless misery and acceptance, which leads to depression. Don't allow your mind work tricks on you.
Step 1: Find an aspect of your life that seems incomplete or makes you unhappy. Make a list.
Step 2: Find something new, or a way to improve the old. Find a possible "change."
Step 3: Go out and do it.
This seems very simple, but people tend to get stuck on each of the three steps. Practically, it take be a long time to move from one step to the other, and you might face difficulties, setbacks, and doubts. So the most important thing is to stick with it and not allow yourself to cower back into your comfortable state of misery.
It may seem ironic, but people may prefer to be miserable, because it is comfortable and safe, as opposed to taking a risk and changing something in your life.
For example, I decided to start martial arts classes. I feel like I need an outlet for my anger that doesn't include fighting with my parents or being aggressive to random people. Also, I like the idea of self-defense. Maybe you have noticed from my previous articles that I'm a bit of a feminist. I don't like being dependent on my male friends for protection in the evenings.
What about you? Is there some aspect of your life or yourself that you don't like? How do you change it? Do you have to add or remove something or someone from your life? Try something new?
The hardest step is always the first one because it will take you out of your comfort zone. But once you're out there, you will start to feel the rush of excitement and accomplishment, which will help you through the process. Be brave!