Remaking Ourselves

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world... as in being able to remake ourselves” – Mahatma Gandhi.

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It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of everything we cannot influence or control in the world around us. Wars, injustice, poverty, dirty politics, mass suffering, inequality and abuse of power are all global problems which can seem overwhelming from the viewpoint of a single individual. Focusing on things that make us feel powerless drains our energy, blocks our creativity and keeps us stuck in patterns of negative thinking. It keeps us focused ‘out there’, rather than ‘in here’, and our internal world is the only place we can control. Our internal world of thoughts, beliefs and emotions is where we live, the wheelhouse from which we drive our lives. When we focus on the things we cannot influence, we lose sight of the fact that we have complete control over ourselves – our beliefs and attitudes; the paths we take in life; the way we relate to one another; and how we contribute to our society, our workplaces, our families and our one-on-one relationships. This is where our power lies. This is where change can happen.

Interestingly enough, when we change ourselves we do begin to change the world, because the world is made up of individuals. One person influences another, and another, in an endless series of chain reactions. Think of the impact a book or a speech or a documentary can make on thousands or even millions of people. Then think of the effect of a single abusive parent on a whole family of children. We are powerful beyond our imagination, and it’s time we harnessed this power for good. It’s time to start remodelling ourselves from the inside out, and then setting our intention toward having a positive influence on those we share time with every day. Start with just one thing. Try creating a new daily habit of focusing on the things you’re grateful for, and watch as this practice changes the way you feel, and the way you live your life.