Short messages on Positive change from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
There will always be unexpected turns in your life but what separates success and failure is one thing: perseverance.
Perseverance is important: it helps you to keep moving forward and not give up on dreams. It is rare that someone gets it right first time – push yourself to try again.
Perseverance is commitment, patience, hard work; the ability to withstand difficulties calmly and without complaining; trying several times until you attain a goal.
If you shift your attention away from yourself and onto others – compassionately taking interest in their concerns – shyness may become a thing of the past.
When the water in a tank is polluted, all taps will only give polluted water. Your heart is the tank. When it is filled with good thoughts and feelings, all that comes out of the senses – your speech, your vision, your actions – will be pure.
Treat your mind like a home. Open windows to let change in, clear out the attic and keep everything tidy. The front door only lets in who you want, and don’t be afraid to extend to increase the value.
If you can’t find what you’re passionate about, follow your curiosity for a while instead.
‘Bad’ behaviour is often caused by an unfulfilled need. Addressing the need is often a much more effective strategy than addressing the behaviour.
If you move away from labelling someone as being inherently ‘bad’ and beyond redemption, this gives you and them the space to behave in better ways.
Instead of thinking of someone as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, think of them as sometimes being ‘in-balance’ and sometimes ‘out-of-balance’. Everyone is capable of both.