(Akiit.com) When we are young, we’re often just so caught up in living life and chasing our dreams, that we don’t give much thought to the kinds of people we are turning into. With time, however, questions like “am I the kind of guy I can respect?” Become more relevant and central.
On some level, we all tend to respect people who create things, and contribute positively to the world around them. And we don’t usually like people who just destroy things, mindlessly.
Unfortunately, though, it’s always easier to destroy than to create. Building bus shelters takes work – smashing them is the kind of thing that any delinquent kid can do in minutes.
Here are a few tips for becoming the kind of person who creates things, rather than the kind of person who just destroys them.
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Take complete responsibility for your actions, and realise that everything you do is influencing the world in some way – as well as shaping the kind of person you’re becoming
It can be easy to think that your actions are more or less irrelevant, on a day-to-day basis. Especially the smaller and more mundane ones.
The weird and complicated reality, though, is that everything you do is influencing the world in some way – as well as shaping the kind of person you become. Sometimes dramatically, often subtly.
Think about this: if you leave your lawn unmowed, and your garden’s a mess, your neighbours will likely notice, and may feel more like it’s alright to neglect their own gardens. But if you mow your lawn, they are likely notice, and may feel ashamed enough to do something about their own overgrown lawn. Before long, the whole neighbourhood may have changed, based on such a simple action as mowing the grass.
At the same time, our habits shape the kinds of people we are. And every small action is a vote for the kind of person we want to be, and the kinds of habits we are establishing.
So, take complete responsibility for your actions, and take them seriously. Sweat the small stuff.
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Actively spend more of your time each day making things, instead of just consuming them
There’s nothing wrong with doing some shopping and make some consumer purchases, but if that’s all you do, then you are likely abdicating your role as a creator, in some pretty serious ways.
Instead of only consuming, make sure that you spend more of your time, each day, actively making things, as well.
This could mean writing blog posts, doing art, or doing some DIY woodworking. Either way, make stuff.
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Be humble and keep the thirst for knowledge alive – arrogance almost always leads to destruction
If you allow yourself to believe that you’ve got all the answers figured out, then you’re likely to act arrogantly in the world, and to do more than your fair share of damage.
The reality is that life, and the world, are complicated – and if you want to take action to try and change something, you better do it with a lot of humility and a lot of caution, because you can be sure there are all sorts of things you are not properly taking into account.
Be humble, and keep the thirst for knowledge alive throughout your life. That’s one of the best ways of ensuring that you end up as an intentional creator, rather than a careless destroyer.
Staff Writer; Laura Brown