Life Stock

I think a lot of people take stock of their lives from time to time. Some, like me, are continually seeking to improve themselves based on these self-assessments. At least for me, a big and necessary first step is to actually understand that something is not the way that I want it to be. In some cases, I may be the last person to realize that I need to work on some aspect of myself, so being able to recognize that something needs work and attention is important.

The ideal scenario, of course, would be to recognize that some aspect of your being needs to be attended to, you devise a plan of attack, and poof, everything is in the rear-view mirror of your life and everyone lives happily ever after. Obviously, this rarely, if ever, happens. In my case I fight and struggle and wrestle with the same issues time and again, day to day, week to week, and sadly, year to year. On of my greatest frustrations is to apparently make progress in some area, only to have all of the old ways come back in full force in a moment of weakness. This causes me to beat myself up with negative, defeatist thoughts. It is equally frustrating too when your to-do list keeps getting longer and longer. My list of areas that require significant work and attention include:

• Lust
  
• Anger
  
• Worry
  
• Bad self-image
  
• Apathy
  

Do I have any sound advice to those similarly struggling? Perhaps the most important thing is to acknowledge and accept that you are human and that you are not perfect. Realize too that you didn't develop the items on this list overnight. Improvement will take time and attention and active effort. Finally, realize that most of us can only expect improvement in some of our problem areas. We rarely are "cured" entirely. Practice patience with yourself. Get up when you fall, and attempt to understand why you fell, lest you trip on the same obstacle repeatedly.