Self-Realization

This word itself is very powerful in the sense that it not only tells us what we have realized for ourselves, but also what we subconsciously choose to not realize. To enable us to learn something of our own accord, we need an event. An event that truly shows us the current state of our mind and body.

Usually, realizations are related to the perception that our future may very well depend on the decisions we take at the moment. For me, such a realization occurred in the winter break of last year. I have to confess that I’m incredibly lazy. And I seriously don’t do anything to fix this habit.

So, there I was in the end of December 2019, lying in bed and watching television. I looked down and saw my flabby gut, and it dawned on me that I was starting to lose my physical fitness. And that moment scared me, more than any surprise test ever could. The fact that I used to be in peak physical conditions most of the time a couple of years back made me look at myself as some sort of a pathetic ramification of my past self. Maybe it was wrong to feel like that, but it did provide me the necessary determination to improve my health.

I am prone to procrastination, to such an extent that it has become an involuntary action to think directly about the due date of any work assigned to me first, and not the time it would actually take me to do it. A perfect example is me writing this submission at the moment. Today is the 25th of August, a week before we are supposed to hand in our write-ups. If this was the old me, today would probably have had been the 30th.

I have improved a bit in battling my ‘there is quite some time left’ attitude. But what I have really improved in is my fitness. I realized that even though laziness may be comforting, it is temporary. But to be truly content, we must be clear-cut and resilient.

I decided to reduce my between-meal snacks, which was quite a lot more than I would like to admit, and I took to daily exercise. Right now, I am participating in a marathon training program, and I go for long morning jogs every day. After returning, I may be tired, but there is a feeling of accomplishment that is just so strong that it makes me enjoy the effort that I put in.

The main trick for succeeding in what you do is to enjoy the process. If there is a mental resistance against any activity that we partake in, it become substantially harder for us to reach our goals in it. What is the use of starting such rigid fitness routines from now, some may ask? I tell them, its for building good habits. Think about it. Would it be easier to start an activity out of nowhere, or rather to have a history of doing it? The latter, obviously. We are designed to work from previous experiences, and if that experience is also beneficial for your overall fitness, then that’s the cherry on top.

What I mean to say has already been said before. The saying ‘practice makes perfect’ is maybe the most practical saying of all time. Everyone is built different, and may have different qualities, but the one characteristic feature we all share is that there is always room for improvement.

All we need is motivation… …and self-reflection provides a way to achieve this. Just take 5 minutes at the end of the day, before going to sleep, to reflect upon your actions during the day, and whether you are really content with the work you did and the effort you put in. This method may look to be very simple, but it is a proven way of increasing productivity, and maintaining a positive attitude.

And I would like to wrap up this piece by saying, always believe in yourself, because any challenge that you face in your life has already been conquered by millions of people.