Don?t Give Up!

Don't let anyone kid you. The road to self improvement and personal growth is not a short, straight, well-marked, paved highway. Looking back on my journey, I see a road meandering over hills and through valleys, around sharp curves and over muddy trails, with occasional boulders blocking my way. I can remember taking detours that took me off the beaten path and on to cow paths that wandered seemingly forever through the puckerbrush. It's been a long interesting journey.

My trip began over 20 years ago when I was encouraged by a close friend to leave the world of the "walking dead" and move on to a better life. Walking dead?! Holy smokes! Where did that come from? That absolutely couldn't be me! No way! I was doing just fine. I had a great family, I held some foundation religious beliefs, I went to work every day and brought home an almost reasonable paycheck. I was doing fine. I was fulfilling my obligations to my family. I was doing what was expected of me. I was doing what husbands and fathers are supposed to do. And furthermore, I would darned well continue to do all those expected things until the day I passed from the face of the earth! I was doing just?

Ohmygod! (Sometimes it's a bitch when reality strikes?) That was me! I was living in Zombieville! I was in a rut so deep I could only see the sun at midday. I was doing the same types of things day after day. Thinking the same thoughts ? believing the same beliefs.

So - I started reading books ? lots of books. (Remember, this was way back "when" in the dark ages before personal computers.) I listened to tapes ? and read more books. And I spent lots and lots and lots of time thinking ? about who and what I was and what I really wanted to do with my life. I read more? and listened to more tapes? and thought? and nothing happened! Well, wait just a danged minute. If I'm learning (and I really was) isn't something ? anything ? supposed to change? Shouldn't things be getting better?

Ohmygod! (There's that danged reality thing again?) I really have to DO SOMETHING! I need to put all that information I've been accumulating to work! This personal growth stuff isn't just about kicking back and soaking up words of wisdom. It's about making a conscious effort to change my actions. Dang, this isn't going to be the easy ride I had imagined. This is gonna be work!

So ? I got to work. Gradually I started using the information I had gleaned from all of my reading, listening and thinking to make a few changes in my life. Small changes at first. Simple changes. Like responding to the "How are ya?" questions with "Great!" or even "Super!" I even tossed in "Fantastic!" once in awhile just to see what would happen. (Most folks didn't believe a word of it and probably thought I was just being goofy. But it was working for me.)

And I spent more time thinking and meditating ? and learning. I was starting to see more daylight now. I was moving closer to the rim of my personal rut. But the changes and improvements in my life were happening oh, so slowly. So very slowly. Sometimes it seemed that months went by without any significant improvement. More months passed?

Ohmygod! (Yep, it happened again?) There is no way for any of this to occur quickly ? immediately. It takes time. I need to grow slowly. I can't learn bigger lessons until I've learned the smaller ones first. It's a logical step-by-step process. Start small ? and earn the privilege of moving on to the next step. One step at a time. Whoooeee! This is gonna work!

It was about that time that the whole process of self improvement and personal growth became FUN! I could begin to see that my life was getting better. Oh sure, at the same time I saw a few things that needed to be changed to help the process so I made the appropriate plans ? which eventually led me to make the changes I needed to make. And no, some of these changes weren't especially easy ? or fun - but they were necessary.

So, a little at a time, a step at a time, life was getting better ? and overall, a lot more enjoyable. Now, nearly 25 years after the beginning of my journey, my life is truly "Super!" ? with frequent spurts to "Fantastic!". No, it's not perfect and it never will be. Life's not like that. I still have experiences to add to my life's history and more lessons to learn. There's always more to learn.

So when you experience the delays, detours and occasional roadblocks as you're traveling down your personal growth highway, don't get discouraged. It's gonna happen. It's all just a part of the developmental process. Hang in there. Keep on truckin'. Don't give up! Your personal, special destiny really is waiting for you!

About The Author

Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's "secrets for survival" in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life.

You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/

gene@nupathz.com

---

Inspired For Women

One man can make a difference. I've been saying this... Read More

Anything That?s Worth Doing, Is Worth Doing Poorly

Yes you got it. You read it correctly. We're not... Read More

Heavy Weather Guide

Direct Answers - Column for the week of April 26,... Read More

Keeping Faith

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 30,... Read More

Super Mom, Wonder Woman, Energizer Mommy or Just Mom

Have you ever sat down to watch the evening news... Read More

Delay Can Reveal Doubts

Confident Expectation! The feeling of 'confidence' is the assurance that... Read More

Journals You Can Keep

Besides your daily feelings, thoughts, and experiences journal, there are... Read More

Fighting Grief: The Time To Show You Care

The news came as a shock to us all. He... Read More

A Rush Home to Rapture

Riding a rush, being juiced, flying high-this is the feeling... Read More

The Finer, and Finest, Things in Life

In America, we have a saying: The finer things in... Read More

About Self Love

1. How do I love myself?2. How can I feel... Read More

What Footsie Taught Us!

We have just inherited a rag, tag and bobtail of... Read More

Its A Brand New Day

Waking up one day and realizing your world just isn't... Read More

Fulfilling Your Dreams: The Magic Of Starting

Fulfilling your dreams will remain a mirage if you simply... Read More

Everyone Has Been Hurt... Part 4

Continued...After that I stayed with him still and when he... Read More

Keep Hope Alive

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the... Read More

Everyday is a Gift, Open and Enjoy It

There is a bottle of perfume sitting on my dresser... Read More

Virtual Chocolate

A second on your lips forever on your hips never... Read More

Re-Define Realistic: True Power Series

This is the eighth article in our "True Power" series.... Read More

Fear, Faith, and Believing vs. Knowing

Fear is deeply rooted in uncertainty. Think about it; the... Read More

The Angels on My Path

I'm leaving on a TV tour in a few weeks.... Read More

What We Believe We Create - Love is the Creation

I once was told by the Angels that our concept... Read More

Leaving The Child Behind. Recovery From Child Abuse

I looked at my father for the last time before... Read More

Irresistible

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 29,... Read More

When Was the Last Time?

When was the last time you smiled at a stranger?When... Read More

Ctrl-Alt-Delete Your Life

Ah, the good old "Vulcan nerve pinch", the three-fingered salute,... Read More

Create Your Way Out of It

When life has you feeling less than happy, and you... Read More

Turning 40

Most of us, at one point or another, take a... Read More

Make Life Work: Repair the Relationship with Yourself

What areas of your life are working well? Career? Finances?Relationships?... Read More

Dream Lover

Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 1,... Read More

False Prophets

Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 12,... Read More

Life is About Choosing

Back to our youth days, we were taught that by... Read More

Wow a Butterfly!

Okay, I am sure that you clicked on this title... Read More