When we begin our self-improvement journey, we often find ourselves turning to others for instruction, advice or inspiration. While these resources can be a great way to help you get started, you can also use your own steps toward self-improvement to inspire the people around you, whether you know them or not. We’ve gathered a few tips and tricks to help you inspire others while continuing to help yourself in the process.
1. Use Social Media for Good
Social media has earned a bad reputation as a tool for keeping people apart, but it can definitely be used as a tool for inspiration and self-improvement. Depending on your social media website of choice, you can post videos, pictures, inspirational quotes or anything else that inspires you to improve yourself. Putting your own inspirations out there you make it easier for others to find them and use them as well.
If you’re not sure where to start, try taking a look at your Pinterest account. A quick search will bring up hundreds of inspirational posts that you can use to spark your own motivation. Not only can you find general inspirational quotes, but there are also subcategories for everything from weight loss to mental health and any other self-improvement category you can imagine.
2. Ditch the Negativity
One of the biggest obstacles you will face on your road to self-improvement is negativity. Negative thoughts or comments from yourself or the people around you can prevent you from reaching your goals or discourage you from even trying to improve yourself. Instead of letting negativity get you down, consider positivity instead. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas.
- Change your mind: Use mindfulness, meditation or journaling to get those negative thoughts out of your head so they can’t do any damage.
- Reach out with a helping hand: Helping others, even if it’s something as simple as opening the door for the person behind you, is a great way to get negativity out.
- Practice gratitude: Don’t just say thank you, really mean it. Practicing gratitude in all aspects of your life is a great way to help improve your outlook.
- Laugh more: There is no better way to get rid of negativity in your life than laughing in its face.
A Swedish proverb sums it up best: “Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more and good things will be yours.”
3. Take a Leap of Faith
Sometimes the best way to improve yourself is to step out of your comfort zone. Not only can this be beneficial for you during your own journey, but it can also help inspire others to take the same leap or to take a step outside of their own comfort zones. This leap of faith doesn’t have to be extreme. You don’t need to quit your job and move to another country, though that would be a significant leap. Just start stepping outside of your normal routine. Do things you never thought you would or could, like a weekend hiking excursion or zip-lining down the mountains.
We won’t sugarcoat it: Taking that first leap of faith can be one of the scariest things you will ever do. Just think of all the experiences, good food and friends you might miss out on if you don’t take that leap. It doesn’t really balance out, does it?
4. Encourage Others
You don’t have to passively inspire people with your self-improvement journey. Instead, try reaching out to actively encourage other people. How can you encourage people toward their own self-improvement path?
- Don’t wait until they start their journey. Encouragement, at its heart, is showing people you believe they can accomplish their goals even before they take the first step on that path.
- Use every available medium. Talk to them, leave notes, send text messages or call them on the phone. A little bit of encouragement goes a long way, especially when it’s personalized. This can be as simple as writing some inspirational notes and putting them on mirrors.
- Don’t limit your encouragement to your own social circle. Everyone can benefit from a bit of encouragement now and then, even if it’s coming from a stranger.
You can encourage people with your own stories and experiences as well.
5. Integrate Your Own Inspirations
Who inspires you to improve yourself? Is it your kids, your spouse, your family or your friends? Once you’ve figured out who is inspiring you to change your life, you can inspire others by integrating the traits and behaviors those people have into your own life.
This can be a great way to find answers or new techniques for different aspects of self-improvement that you may not have experienced.
Self-improvement is a journey you may spend your entire life on, so while you’re learning how to be the best person you can be, you can also inspire those around you to be their best as well.
Images by Mohamed Nohassi and Eduard Militaru