On Being Better…

There is likely no one who lives who wouldn’t like to make some changes in his life— and in the lives of others also. Often we wish we were better than we are; we wish we hadn’t done some things we did do, and had done some things we didn’t do. We wish we had developed more talents. We wish for personal improvement. We wish our affairs were more in order. We wish our debts were paid. We wish we were happier and more satisfied with ourselves. We wish we were making more progress. We wish we were getting along better with people. We wish we had more friends. We wish we were happier with our family. But whatever we wish we should do more than merely wish.

If we want more friends, we should be the kind of friend we wish others were. If we wish our debts were paid, we must remember not to go deeper into debt; we must remember to begin to do something to pay our debts, for debts don’t pay themselves. If we wish we knew more, we’d better begin to learn more. Things generally just don’t do themselves. Sometimes uninvited events enter our lives. Sometimes we have disappointments. Sometimes we have to change our plans. But we don’t always have to accept ourselves or our circumstances just as they are. There are many day-to-day decisions we can make, and many things which day to day we can do which could change us and alter events.

And work and patience are lessons that all of us must learn. We don’t suddenly become something we are not. Personal progress doesn’t suddenly come without effort. The only way to repent is to repent. The only way to improve is to improve. The only way to be what we want to be is to begin to be what we ought to be. We can’t improve the present or the future simply by wishing—and certainly we can’t do it by continuing down a wrong road. The only way to be better is to begin, actually and honestly to be better. We can wish for it and think about it—but we do have to begin. Why not now!