Why we often fail in our attempts at self-improvement is because we are tricked by our mind into aiming for instant improvement – and then we are tripped by that same mind into falling and then beating ourselves up for not being strong enough. If somebody wants to go from the ground floor to the first floor [and] they just run and try to make a high jump, they are going to fall. If they take a staircase, they can naturally go up [by] small steps, one step at a time. That’s what the Bhagavad Gita [6.25] recommends. “śanaiḥ śanair uparamed“. So when we try to improve ourselves, let’s focus on taking small steps that we feel confident about doing and in that way we all can improve.

Watch this content at: Why we fail in improving ourselves

***

06.25 Gradually, step by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing else.