Our lives are lived in the pursuit of the dream of who we wish to be.

We spend years defining ourselves with jobs and clothes before we realise that we are so much more than that, and less at once. We come to crave something greater; we come to see that satisfaction lies in a life of fulfilment. A life where we turn our mind to a task and, mindful of the fact that we have to earn its success, pursue that goal to its end.

The first lesson is always in our own fallibility, without this we've no desire to change. Nick Cave referred to it as the moment when "the child comes to take their life as a serious concern" -something happens. It can be a loss, it can be an opportunity, but that great event happens and you realise that you're not happy and that something has to change; you begin to listen to your feelings.

All self-improvement is based on actually listening to your own emotions, and finding out what they mean, and listening to what other people are telling you about their emotions. You come to understand that we all have a pretty similar set of problems. We all just want a little better food, a little better roof and someone to love; we all want life to be pleasant and peaceful.

A monk one sat meditating and his master walked past him and said, "What do you do?" the monk said, "I am meditating, I wish to become a Buddha," so his master sat down, picked a tile up and began polishing it. His disciple asked, what are you doing, to which his master said, "I'm going to polish this tile and turn it into a mirror," the monk protested, "That won't work," to which his master asked, "And sitting there all day will make you a Buddha?

Self-improvement is the art of polishing ones soul, and is done through a mindful existence and loving hand and a full life.

Learn more about this author, BT Cassidy.
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