“Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.”
— Rumi
Take a moment, and reflect on what that quote says to you.
Like many, you can look around and see many things in the world that you would like to change.
Things that make no sense, things that cause harm, things that create waste.
In your relationships, your workplace, your government.
It makes sense to want to change those things.
Control
You get stuck when you realize that changing things feels like it requires control.
Control over people, over rule making. And you likely have limited positional power in that regard.
So you end up feeling stuck – how can I change anything?
Attraction
Rumi’s quote shows the way.
If you change yourself to attract more of what you want, you attract change. And you also open the door to find new places for yourself.
Others have shared similar insights –
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi (*attributed)
Three different but similar thoughts, three different thinkers. They all understood that you are the only person you can change.
You have the ability to direct your own path. You do not have the ability to change another person – you may only attract and influence.
By changing yourself to be more of what you want, you attract more of what you want.
And if you find that where you are after the change no longer fits, you have the power to go somewhere else, better suited for you.
You can do this. I can help.
(*)The academic consensus is there is no direct quote from Gandhi that matches; his speeches and writings make very similar points, from which this quote was likely condensed.