A Personal Reflection on Acting and Change (IDGs)
When I think about the “Acting” skills in the Inner Development Goals—courage, creativity, optimism, and perseverance—I don’t think of big achievements. I think of school days when things didn’t go as planned.
For me, courage looks like asking a question even when I’m afraid it sounds silly, or speaking up in a group discussion instead of staying quiet. It rarely feels confident—mostly, it feels uncomfortable.
I’ve started noticing creativity in small adjustments. After doing badly on a test once, I changed how I studied instead of blaming myself. That shift—trying a different method instead of repeating the same mistake—felt like a form of creative action.
What I struggle with most is perseverance. When effort doesn’t immediately show results, it’s tempting to give up. In those moments, optimism isn’t about pretending everything is fine; it’s about believing that continuing still has value, even when progress is slow.
Reflecting on this made me realize that taking action isn’t about being fearless or perfect—it’s about choosing to continue, adjust, or try again despite uncertainty.
I’m curious: when school gets overwhelming, which of these—courage, creativity, optimism, or perseverance—do you rely on the most? And which one do you find hardest to practice?
@alwayshere2008
Sometimes optimism was the hardest thing to work on.
Studying and exam pressure can at times for people feel relentless.
And it's hard to keep pushing through especially if things haven't been going your way.
💚
@alwayshere2008 Even though I might be at a very different stage in my life - school days are behind more than one bend in the road aka in the river - this post, I feel, is relevant regardless of age. The core aspect is probably, the 'everyday', the normal routine life, and whatever challenges that may bring. And it does, doesn't it? Our development goes on, the lifelong journey on the river (somehow I cannot stop the analogy, but I promise I will try).
So the courage to speak up, even when afraid to sound silly... implementing small amounts of creativity in our day... trying to stay with optimisms even when the news seem dark... and persevering in the face of it all, it is all relevant, always. So, to answer the very interesting questions - I rely most on perseverance, making a however tiny step instead of standing still, and let the impact of that ripple. This, hopefully, leads to a spark of optimism, hope that things can be better.
And here are my questions back to you: How do you cultivate or coax into existence any of these on a cloudy day? And would you say this is better done internally and taken out, or externally and embraced (in)? Hope this makes sense + interested in your answers.