Self-improvement has the power to change who we are. In terms of our own personal worlds, it can alter the world we live in. When we work on ourselves, on our individuality, it’s as if a whole different universe comes into play, one in which we can think more clearly, see things in a better light, and enhance our overall outlook.
When I started writing my books, I had gone on a 10-day cleanse because I wanted to change the way I looked and felt, physically. I started to grow, look, feel, and act old. I said to myself, “This is not me. This is not the person I envision myself to be.” I decided to take responsibility for my life and make concrete changes.
When we realize that we have the power to change things in our lives and that no one else can do it for us, we are on the right track. I decided to set aside time each day that was designated ME time. Just me. No one to help me, no way to reach me (no phone), no interaction with anyone else.
I focused on myself for a specific amount of time to get myself into the physical shape that I wanted. During that physical transformation, I realized that it was more of a mental transformation for me. I started to overcome my mental weaknesses, deficiencies, and inabilities in self-imposed barriers.
As the physical results manifested, I started to see who I truly could become. After years of success in business and having raised a great family, I was still missing something. I realized it was because of the mental blocks I had created for myself: excuses I came up with that impeded me from reaching my potential. We all have this great potential.
God doesn’t pick winners and losers. He wants all of us to succeed, giving each of us special gifts, traits, and characteristics specific to us. Things that make us unique. This life that we live is our opportunity to find out what those gifts are and how to manifest them within our lives to bless ourselves and others.
I realized the mental transformation I experienced allowed me to see the things I needed to change within my life. I wasn’t so focused on how to become successful or how to change this or that in my life. I became more focused on me, what I needed to do, what weaknesses I needed to overcome. It was apparent that my mind always gave up before my body did.
During this health-related transformation I was undergoing, I needed to make some diet and lifestyle changes, specifically being more physically active. This was a challenge because my mind wanted to stop even though my body could still physically push through. When forced to, our bodies can do incredible things, but it’s in our minds where all the battles are fought.
There is a lot that needs to take place within our lives to have the necessary strength to succeed. We personally define that success, individually, no one else does. We are our own worst critics, but we can also be our own best cheerleaders when it comes down to it. It is up to us to make things happen or not. Work on developing the gifts God gave you, both the obvious and not-so-obvious.
Don’t be the person on his deathbed who looks about him and languishes in frustration of all the things that he could have done, should have done, would have done. Maximize what you have in this beautiful life that’s been given to you! Don’t allow some inadequacy, weakness, frailty, or mental deficiency block that you put within yourself to prevent those talents from manifesting.
Make an effort to work on yourself every day to improve, regardless of your age, gender, economic situation, or location. Getting married should not stop you from becoming the person you are meant to be. Life is about becoming that person, the best version of ourselves. Success is never an accident.
