The courage to change

These interesting looking trees are a problem for people with allergies.

This little gal was guarding her nest.

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It's no secret that I'm a BIG advocate for self-improvement. I spent a great deal of my life stuck in misery...fearing change...carrying guilt and shame...having low self-esteem. Once I began to feel the benefits of working on myself, I was hooked. I developed a passion for it that has never diminished in almost 16 years.

It's not always easy or comfortable to look deeply and honestly at ourselves. It wasn't easy for me anyways. I discovered many things about myself that initially made me cringe. And once I stepped out of denial, I had to be willing to change those things. But it helped me to become a better person. And it boosted my self-esteem by taking the right actions.

 I also had to learn to discipline myself. Recently, I've been disciplining myself about exercise (that one's still not easy for me). It's another form of self-improvement. As an incentive to ride my bike  yesterday, I brought my camera along. I gently pushed myself to ride farther than I usually do and it felt good!

Sometimes we have to dig deep for the willingness to do what's right. But by doing so, we build more trust in ourselves; trust that we will do the right thing. And as most of us already know,  procrastination is painful and self-defeating!

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This girl has eyes and lips...I don't usually add facial details...hmm...a new change?

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If you deliberately plan on
being less than you are capable of being,
then I warn you
that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life.

  -Abraham H Maslow

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"I have the courage to look at myself"