Is self-improvement transforming your life or ruining it? That’s a pretty scary question because on one hand, self-improvement serves as our salvation: promising a life of beauty, purpose, passion and fulfillment but on the other, it’s a villain… locking us up in a dark and lonely cell. I’m going to help you make that determination for yourself, show you why self-improvement can be a cure or a curse, and help ensure that you're heading up a transformative path instead of down into a pit of despair. (what movie is that from?) If you stick around until the end I’m also going to give you 5 epic self-improvement practices that actually work. They’re based on your intimate journey and not generic BS (and I guarantee you haven’t even heard of the last one either.) For those of you who are new here, WELCOME! My name is Joe Hehn (pronounced Hain or Hane like the underwear so when you think of me… think of underwear, but like unworn new in a box kind, not the stuff from stretched out ones thinning from college days.) Okay so my whole job here is to help you elevate the quality of your life using the power of your mind. I've got about five minutes to do that so buckle up! If you prefer a video experience instead of a written one, check out this video below otherwise I'll see you in 4 inches:)
I’m sure you’ve thought of it before… You find yourself wanting life to be different, better, more fulfilling or brighter. Something's off, like food without salt. You’re not wealthy enough, you don’t have the promotion or ideal career, the bond between you and your partner is dulling or you’re single and sick of dating but also really lonely, and the kids… ugh the kids, it just never ends… Life looks a lot different than you imagined it would when you actually thought about that kind of stuff, back in the day. When did you stop thinking like that? Can you remember the last time you were excited about the future and it wasn't about a vacation? You feel rundown, tired all the time, and you sure as shit don't you don’t know where to find, Purpose. You come across a video, a podcast, an interview, or self-help book claiming to know everything you need to do in order to get everything you want. So you buy the book or sign up for the course. You’re halfway through and like a dying light the first flicker happens. Days pass and that sense of empowerment fades into darkness. You fall back into your old ways: bad habits, negative thinking, and the gauntlet of stress, doubt, shame, anxiety, failure and fear that come along with it. But then some flash of promise catches your eye. Rinse and repeat. Before long you find yourself in this never-ending cycle of highs and lows and you're certainly not experiencing any kind of transformation. Some of us even become self-improvement devotees, running through gurus, courses, and books like full-blown addicts. When does it end? When are you good enough? It’s perfectly natural wanting to improve something that is far from perfect. But when does it become an unhealthy obsession? Every self-help book, religious message, spiritual lesson, guru, coach, mentor, and motivational speaker will tell you that the most important thing for self improvement is this: Think better about: yourself, your life, and others. But that’s the problem. If we admit we need to improve, then how can we think simultaneously think good about ourselves? Here’s the solution: You're perfect just as you are, right now, in this very moment. I’m not shitting you either, I can prove it. Btw, if you need clarification or have a specific question be sure to email me and I'll do the best I can to help. And if you wouldn't mind sharing this email with someone who comes to mind, that would mean the world to me and they may really need it:)
If you say you’re not perfect because you don’t have the wealth, career, partner, kid, house, etc., I'd flip that coin and say:
"That's simply a disillusioned perspective, you're comparing your life to what it COULD be and highlighting what's missing. That's an impossible void to fill because there's always something missing.
A billionaire will always FEEL broke if they’re only looking at all the money they don’t have."
That’s what I call an “Ego Trap.” The ego wants you to find the fault in life and suffer in that perspective instead of maintaining awareness in the present, where peace resides.
"So what do we do?"
Great question, we need to recreate what it means to be perfect.
Because our very minds, our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings are all screaming that we aren’t - they’re conditioned to do this and most of us are never taught how to reprogram any of that so that we can actually feel pretty damn good about ourselves and live a peaceful life.
Think of what it means to be perfect in terms of technology – like artificial intelligence or cell phones.
Technology is perfect in the sense that it's the best it has ever been. It's at the pinnacle of its existence.
Yet… does technology improve over time with constant investment in energy, effort & resources?
Yes! And it becomes MORE perfect.
Perfection is not a place or accomplishment… it’s an evolution.
It never tops out – it’s always improving, expanding & evolving into something MORE than it once was.
Even nature reflects this truth: a seed is perfect, the sprout is perfect, the bud is perfect, and the fully bloomed rose is absolute perfection – even in death, it’s perfect.
The key to ensuring that you’re improving, expanding & evolving – transforming into something more than you once were along your self-improvement journey and NOT getting tangled in a never-ending cycle of stagnation is this:
You ready for it? Because this is the super-duper secret recipe right here. And if you sign up now, I'll throw in some towels or a bobblehead of me… ewww.
Seriously though here it is:
Each and every day, make a habit of convincing yourself that you’re perfect just as you are.
Praise and celebrate yourself whenever you can (especially through the harder stuff) WHILE simultaneously finding gratitude for ALL experiences as they aid in your ulitmate growth & development.
This has to be habitual, that’s the key to success.
Like brushing our teeth or putting on underwear (Joe Hehn), we have to make these three things a daily habit:
Believing in ourselves.
Thinking we're doing pretty damn good.
Feeling grateful for and proud of who we are and the life we've created.
The sole reason we get caught up in the never-ending cycle of self-improvement and NEVER experience a true transformation is because we haven’t solidified mindset habits that make us believe, think & feel like we're perfect. Habits establish a routine, which establish a lifestyle. What's the term for a new, empowering, and sustained lifestyle? Transformation. The reason we jump from one self improvement technique or teacher to the next is because they make us believe, think, and feel better about ourselves – but only for a small period of time… it's not sustained. It’s like receiving a high from a drug or a vacation. So the one thing that will help you to stop relying on self-improvement books, gurus and influencers and make you solely responsible for a true transformation is implementing empowering & inspiring habits. Now's the time I'm going to charge you a lot of money for those habits! Muahahahaha!!! Just kidding, here they are por gratis. I've added the five I promised below. I'm grateful for you, Joe Hehn
