Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth – I love this painting for what I see in it, while some may see despair, I see hope!

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” –Steve Maraboli

I am not my mistakes of yesterday!

I am today! I am now!  I can be a whole new person and not let yesterday define my tomorrow.  Yesterday was a lesson that I needed to learn!

So I had too much chocolate cake yesterday.  So I wasted time talking to a guy that I know is not good for me!  So I watched too much bad TV.  So I didn’t exercise!  So what?

None of that is a death sentence! None of that has to be forever! All of that is me, parts of me that I struggle with. I own it, I face it, I struggle with it, I defy it, I make promises, I repeat it and then I try again the next day.  It sounds like a vicious cycle, but it doesn’t have to be.  I can change it with every new day, with each new second.

“It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.” –Steve Maraboli

Not everything is under my control, but a lot is, and what I choose to do with my life is.  I have free-will!

I finally realized that I am not as nice to myself as I think I am.  I still beat myself up for indiscretions that I, time and time again, promise not to repeat and I realize I am making matters worse.  It is important for me is to be less judgmental and more accepting of my flaws.   Trying so hard to be so perfect is making me weaker and more susceptible to continue the cycle.  Acceptance is key!

I can spend today regretting yesterday and admonishing myself.  Or I can face it, and understand the fact that I am weak when faced with certain things. I can come up with strategies and ways to make sure I change that which needs changing.  I can tell myself to move on.

 “The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”     –Steve Maraboli

I am not changing over night, and expecting instant results is the fastest way to fail.  I am not swearing off sugar and throwing my TV out of the window.  Moderation, moderation – That is the route that I think it will work for me.  Baby steps!

I can (and should) ask for help, from God (the Universe/the Light), from writings, from people. I don’t want the challenges removed.  I want strength to deal with the challenges. And with each new challenge I grow stronger.

I can pay attention and learn to identify the trigger situations and get better at dealing with them.  Planning is a great defense to make sure that the cycle gets broken.  The Boys Scouts are right, “Be Prepared “is a great motto to have!

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” –Steve Maraboli

I love myself and because I love myself I am going to be even nicer to myself, my body, mind and soul.

I am who I want to be! I am not who I was yesterday or one minute ago.  I am going to start acting like the person I want to be, fake till I make it.

I am my words, thoughts, feelings, and more important; I am my actions!  Words and thoughts alone without action are meaningless, still that is where it all starts.   Thoughts become words, which then get translated into actions. I have to act my thoughts and feelings!

It is important that I continue to populate my mind with positive things, that I read the right things, that I watch the right things, that I have the right friends.  By right I mean, that which will help me continue on this path that I am choosing for my life:  a simpler and yet more purposeful and rewarding life to me and those around me.

Moral of my story:  forgiving myself, learning the lesson and moving forward always!   Inching towards my goals is better than being stationary or moving backwards!

 “If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you’ve made, if they don’t realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go.” –Steve Maraboli