can you transform your life from the outside in?

Some would argue that true transformation only happens inside of us - it's a matter of the heart. Others point to the outside and argue that if you change a person's external circumstances that person has a much better opportunity to become a new person from the inside out.


I am a firm believer that there is a God who created the world and who is the giver of all gifts, including faith and the ability for us to make decisions that change us for the better or the worse. We are designed to be active participants in who we are and the person we are becoming.

For that reason, my answer on whether life is transformed from the inside or the outside is YES.

In my own life I've improved my attitudes (my inner life) and seen improvements in my actions (my outer life). But on more than a few occasions, it has been opposite. The actions have preceded the attitudes; it wasn't until I started behaving differently that my inner life got righted.

 One bit of marriage advice I got years ago was that if you don't feel in love with your spouse, at least act like it. Over time the feelings will return.

Either way, transformation is not automatic or guaranteed. I've seen people make heartfelt, sincere commitments and promises and never get out of a rut; and I've seen people who have been given every conceivable advantage and help that never become particularly happy or nice.

Growing, changing, becoming happens both outside in and inside out.

I wanted to share the video above as a reminder to all of us to never give up on life of active compassion and kindness. Sometimes one small change on the outside is all a person needs to rediscover hope and become a new person. I hope he makes it. I'm sure there will be setbacks. But something as simple as a makeover might be the start of something new.

And if that person is you, if you've become disillusioned and lost hope in being the person you want to be, who you were created to be, there might be one small thing you can do today, even if you have to fake it, that will rekindle hope, optimism, and belief in your own life.