A new lesson

Every day of reading through the training material for UFS brings a renewed sense of purpose, an urgency for action, new wisdom and more empathy to all forms of suffering. This is a lesson I learnt today in the context of health education and its importance in community health services.

'Self-efficacy is one of the most important precursors to behavior change, is a good predictor of future behavior, and has many important implications in health education. It is one of the constructs of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Self-efficacy supports the notion that successful behavior change requires that a person have a strong belief in their ability to exercise control over a behavior, or learn a new behavior...'

The lesson, however, extends beyond the sphere of health education, and it should not be mistaken for brainwashing. The important message is, having understood the benefits of following a certain practice, be it meditation, exercise, a healthy diet, or a way of thinking, one must then also believe that one is capable of taking the necessary steps required to achieve that benefit; in other words, one must allow oneself the confidence that he/she can overcome internal barriers to growth, change detrimental habits, and follow up with incremental positive changes in the right direction.

Baby steps to a lofty ideal with faith and sincerity. Believe! :)