Personality is something that greatly affects our lives. Someone once said it is determined by fate, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The fact is, pretty much everyone agonizes over some aspect of their personality. Agonizing actually leads to growth. But, you also have to realize that just worrying about you problems won’t change anything.
Although the human race has made incredible advances in science, in reality we still understand very little about ourselves and the workings of the human mind. There are all types of personality: extroverted and introverted, level-headed and hotheaded, fickle and persistent. People’s personalities are truly diverse. In other words, society constitutes a gathering of people, each possessing unique and distinct personalities.
There is a vast vocabulary of words to describe the various kinds of personalities and character traits people have. Some people even break personalities down into a number of separate groups. Being introverted doesn’t make someone incapable, just as quick-tempered doesn’t make a person useless. We should live in a way that is true to ourselves. Our personality doesn’t determine our happiness or unhappiness rather it is the substance of how we’ve lived our lives that decides. Education as well as of all our efforts towards self-improvement and growth is to enhance that substance. This is what life is all about.
A person’s shyness may be transformed into valuable qualities such as prudence and discretion, while someone’s impatience might be transformed into a knack for getting things done quickly and efficiently. A river meanders, but never stops. This is the natural way of things. Similarly, if you make continuous efforts, your personality will improve slowly, but steadily. The key is to keep moving forward and never stop. No one’s personality is flawless. Everyone, without exception, has some karma that renders them less than perfect. It’s inevitable that there will be aspects of your personality that you don’t like. But it is foolish to become obsessed by such things and succumb to feelings of self-hatred and unworthiness and consequently hinder you own growth.
Getting along well with others is of course important, but doing so to the point of suppressing your individuality will only bring you misery. Furthermore, a strong character is almost a requirement to survive in this tumultuous and ever-changing world. Having intense emotions enables you to understand the feeling of others. It is not a bad thing to be passionate, but if it is driven by egotism and hurts others, it can be dangerous.
The point is, you must have self-discipline. Your passionate nature will become an impetus for progress, a strong sense of justice and a burning desire to help other people. People in general lack willpower. To take the path of least resistance is human nature. Outstanding individuals didn’t become great overnight. They disciplined themselves to overcome their weaknesses, conquering apathy and inertia to become true victors in life.
Life is a struggle with ourselves; it is a tug-of-war between moving forward and regressing, between happiness and unhappiness. Those short on willpower or self-motivation should try and have a conviction to become a person of strong will, a person who can tackle any problem with real seriousness and determination.
If you have self discipline you can cross the toughest time in life. Wonderful post.
True Atul! Self discipline is something that defines who we become and how far we go in life. A personality trait which I believe you share in great amounts 🙂