To begin to cultivate a character, you need to first understand what it is. Once this term applied to coin minting, and in the modern world it means nothing more than the sum of a person’s personal qualities. These include characteristics such as honesty, courage, friendliness, openness, patience, and cunning. They are both positive and negative. A set of these qualities determines the essence of a person, his personality, what he is. How to cultivate will and character?
What is the nature of man based on?
To begin with, the basic characteristics of a person are laid at the genetic level. The next stage is raising a child. But you should not stick to the opinion and say: “What has grown, it has grown”, any qualities can be quite consciously instilled. Or even vice versa, get rid of the shortcomings that interfere with life. Here self-education, tempering of character, education of willpower comes into play. Even the most modest and insecure people can become strong personalities, instill in themselves the will and determination. There are many ways to cultivate character.
Where to start?
To begin to cultivate in yourself all the necessary qualities and understand what your strength is, you need to determine what this strength of character consists of. First of all, these are the factors that enable a person to control themselves, their instincts, emotions, and resist temptations by virtue of their beliefs. It is worth noting that the strength of character is freedom from prejudice, tolerance, respect for others and so on. Before you begin to develop a strong character, you need to answer two basic questions: why do you need this, and what significance does character strength have for you. Character-raising activities are based on the principles below.
What to consider?
To begin to cultivate a character, you need to understand the following:
- Strength of will and character will give you the opportunity to achieve all your goals, help you overcome obstacles, perceive failures easily and move forward. Ultimately, you can achieve everything you want.
- You no longer want to whine and complain about and without it, as many do. A strong character will allow you to analyze your condition, mood and eliminate the causes as soon as possible.
- You will begin to work more productively, since strength of character is the courage to acknowledge primarily your own mistakes, analyze weaknesses and build a new strong-willed personality.
- Another important quality of life is the ability to maintain a sober mind when circumstances turn against us. You will be able to swim against the tide and move on, no matter what. So did all the great people.
Once you decide which of these characteristics are paramount, it will be easier to start the process of self-education. Step by step, brick by brick. Now you have to work hard on yourself and there will be no turning back.
Learn to empathize with others
Such qualities as empathy, the ability to love people around him no less than himself, help to feel primarily harmony with oneself. Especially these qualities should be manifested in relation to the weaker. But do not confuse empathy with sympathy. The bottom line is that the first option is characterized by participation in the fate of a person, help not in word, but in deed. While empathy is a passive reaction that involves emotional comfort. As psychologists say, helping others, you yourself will grow and develop as a person. The developing and nurturing nature of learning is the basis of empathy.
Resist fleeting impulses
These include such commonplace things as craving for sweets, constant shelving for tomorrow, and so on. Aristotle also wrote that each person has the following fundamental qualities: love, hate, desire, fear, joy, sadness, anger. In fact, each of these qualities is normal for a person. But it’s not so simple here, there is a certain fraction of cunning, because they can even be higher than our mind. And here we, such smart and highly intelligent personalities, start to eat everything indiscriminately, make unnecessary purchases, give free rein to fleeting anger, emotional impulses. We are all human and each of us has our weaknesses and passions. And only by cultivating character and tempering willpower can one stop being a slave to one’s habits. Indulging fleeting desires is a sign of weakness and only the ability to restrain whims and passions is already a sign of willpower and character. Only in this way can one cultivate one's character.
Appreciate what you have
If we constantly think that somewhere the sun is brighter, the grass is greener and everyone around us lives better, happier and richer, we may simply not notice how we are no longer pleased with what is around. Remember that each person has his own problems and these are just your assumptions about how healthy others live. Do not look at others, focus only on yourself, look only for the good around. Probably, it is from this that one needs to begin the activity of educating the character.
Control your feelings and emotions
Only common sense and rationality can and should guide you in everyday life. Only a person with a strong character can look at everything that happens only from a position of reasonable perception, with a rational attitude to every little thing, and not through a filter of his emotions. Cultivate the ability to leave emotions in the background and control the chaos of the sensations that arise. At first it will be very difficult, and even at times it will seem impossible, but even this can be learned to control, suppress. Restraint and common sense are the basis of willpower.
Leadership skills
Pessimists rarely achieve anything truly great. But it’s not enough to be just an optimist. As the saying goes, the pessimist will whine that the wind has begun, optimists will wait for it and only the leader will do everything possible to establish sails and be ready for any weather conditions. They say that leaders are born, but psychologists say that this is not so. You can cultivate in yourself a character that is suitable specifically for your lifestyle and for your goals.
Go ahead no matter what
Absolutely any person always thinks about his interests in the first place. This can happen both on an unconscious level, and absolutely consciously. Do not let anyone impose your opinion on you and do not do it yourself. Each person is worthy to live his life the way he wants, and not the order of other people. Just accept for yourself, as a basis, the fact that everyone has the right to his own opinion, to his own truth. As they say, you are not a million dollars to please everyone and it will never be that everyone around will accept your point of view, your opinion. Determine the right course for yourself and follow your goals and principles without retreating.
Learn to Avoid Conflict and Do Good
You can live in harmony with yourself only if there is harmony with the world and others. Strive for this with all your thoughts, your soul. And this can only be achieved by training willpower and character. Going over their heads, plotting and ignoring everyone around them is not the best and certainly not the only way to get to their cherished goal. In search of exclusively personal gain, people often enter into conflicts, make enemies for themselves, which sooner or later turns against the person. Boomerang law, simply put. To satisfy your needs 100%, you need to think about what your actions will entail.
Calm, only calm!
First of all, take care of your internal state, only peace will give you the opportunity to concentrate as much as possible and gather your thoughts in order to act rationally. And here everything is interconnected - inner silence and contemplation lead to opportunities, which, in turn, make it possible to achieve success. No matter how strange it may seem, calm is the first condition for raising a strong character. An overabundance of emotions, following fleeting weaknesses - this is all the lack of an internal state of silence. This is such a peculiar regulator of strength and will and the ability to cultivate a character.
Only positive and faith in one’s strength, and not in the villain’s fate
Only positive emotions will bring luck and self-confidence, leave all negativity overboard and remember only the good. Even doctors say that the best thing a patient can do for himself during an illness is not to think about his problems, but to enjoy life and believe in the best. No wonder they say that with the help of willpower you can drown out even physical pain, you just need to distract yourself to other things. This applies to every day in life. If you think about the bad all the time, then so gray and dull will flow weekdays. Only with your own hands you can bring colors and joy to your every day. Each person is responsible for his life and for how events develop in it. Do not think that everything is predetermined by fate, and you are not able to change anything for the better. Do not give up the initiative, change yourself and the world around. And remember: no one will do it for you.
Be patient and overcome all fears
Only a strong character and willpower make it possible for a person to overcome all difficulties no matter what. Do not think about fleeting pleasure, especially if it will be to the detriment of the most important goal. Learn not to indulge your emotions, learn to wait. Try to cultivate the strength of mind and overcome fears. Unfortunately, many of our fears are the main enemies on the path to success. And we are most often afraid of something far-fetched, based on surface observations. As soon as you overcome even the smallest fear, self-confidence will increase several times. Thus, the character is brought up in itself.
Clear your mind and be honest with others and with yourself
Each person can be called a gardener. We all grow ourselves. Therefore, what needs to be done first of all to get rid of weeds in order to give an opportunity to sprout something pure and beautiful. Keep yourself entertained, new and interesting. That will help to develop and grow, to educate the will and character. Be honest with others and with yourself. What kind of strength of character can be discussed. The love of telling lies is, first of all, cowardice.
It's time to act!
Now that we’ve figured out how to cultivate a strong character, it’s time to start acting! Self-education is not an easy task. In any case, when you want to give up everything and give up, remember the following:
- The principle of an educational character - try, try and try again! No one will answer the question of how many attempts will have to be made to achieve the desired result and to cultivate strength in oneself. But one thing is certain for sure - you need to do it until you succeed in implementing your plan.
- Accept defeat and never give up - the principle of the educational nature of training. There will be no willpower and character unless you learn to overcome defeats. The ability to not give up after a series of setbacks is what parents should cultivate in the character of the child. Mistake or failure is the path to understanding the truth.
- Get rid of any negative influence on you from the outside, remember that no situation or event should affect the state. Set a work plan for yourself and learn to speak correctly. Lexicon is one of the principles of character education.
- Surround yourself with people who are similar to you in goals and aspirations, so that they help you reach up.
Of course, there is no classic recipe to cultivate willpower and character. Try, strive, learn.
What will help on the way to the goal?
To educate in yourself one character trait is no longer an easy task. Take note of the following rules:
- Overcome difficulties, no matter what. Character temper difficulties.
- Read books and not just your favorites, experiment with different genres. Grow and develop.
- Have an opinion and express it.
- Set goals and, most importantly, achieve them. A person with a weak character does not know what he wants. Contradictions, doubts, fluctuations prevent a vibrant and fulfilling life.
- Learn to say no. Failure to give an answer directly is a sign of weakness.
- Form your environment correctly.
We educate ourselves, grow and develop ourselves. Do not clog into a corner and build strength and perseverance in yourself.