TED İZMİR COLLEGE / 9-A
The
COMMITTED
Self Transformation
Doğa ÖZEN ‣
Transforming the world around us is harder than changing a part of ourselves. We usually try to change other people, society, systems, or situations we are in. However, changing a part of ourselves refers to self-transformation. We often want others or the world to be different. However, we have more control over ourselves than others.
An ancient story tells about a king who wants his men to cover the whole town with leather because the rough stone streets hurt his feet. They found the solution by creating the first pair of shoes to protect their king’ s feet. As the story implies, changing things like our environment, people, or situations can be difficult. Making a change in our attitudes, views, and ideas might be harder, but it is better.
The first reason self-transformation is challenging is that it requires honesty – an honest look at who we are.
“ What mistakes have I made? Do I have any bad habits? What are my weaknesses?”
These are the questions we need to ask ourselves and answer honestly to climb the steep steps of selftransformation. This causes discomfort, because blaming others is always easier. However, looking at ourselves truthfully requires courage.
Another reason is that self-transformation takes time. It does not happen quickly. We may change our hair color in a few hours, since external changes are easy to achieve. However, inner transformation may take days, months, or even years.
Fear is also a factor that makes self-transformation difficult. It prevents us from stepping out of our comfort zone.
In conclusion, while we cannot change the world around us, we can change ourselves. By changing our attitude and staying calm, we move one step closer to selftransformation.