Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day and Neither Were You!

This post is part of The Awakened Heart Project

Week 40: Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day and Neither Were You!  

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Progress and Growth

Nothing in life worth having comes easily. Can you hear the voice of your father repeating those words to you as a child? Just as you were trying to throw in the towel and quit whatever it was that you felt was too difficult. No matter where we heard those words, or who said them to us, we’ve all heard, in one way or another, that the best things in life require work. The most rewarding things in life require work.

Personal growth is just the same. It takes time, and it takes works, but the pay off is worth every last second. Don’t forget to give yourself credit for every single accomplishment you make. Give yourself credit for stopping your negative self-talk. Give yourself credit for those five minutes of meditation. However big or small, don’t believe your accomplishments are small. They’re not! They all lead to something much larger, and each and every component towards a more awakened self is a piece of the puzzle. You wouldn’t be where you are if you didn’t make those choice to consciously change.

Give Yourself a Pat on the Back

This seems like a good place to look back at your progress and see where you used to be in life. It’s easy to look at yourself in the present and feel you haven’t taken two steps forward. But when we reflect on our progress and the past we often see that we’ve changed in many ways. Sometimes it’s in the way we carry ourselves. Sometimes it’s a big change like leaving a relationship, or diving into one, or switching careers or taking up a new hobby, or being able to find a deep sense of calm despite a hectic life.

“If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. 

-John Green 

For this lesson, take the time to reflect on your progress. Make a list of all of the things that are different about you today. Write down even the little things that may seem insignificant; they’re not.  You can write down how your feelings have changed about something, how your beliefs have changed, a new perspective you may have, something you’ve let go of, an experience that shifted your life, etc.

Afterwards, ask yourself how it feels that have accomplished this much. How does it feel to have made a shift towards a more actualized self?

Finally, are there things you want to continue to work on? Add them to a second list and think about how you may begin to implement them. Keep both of these list close buy and add to them whenever you get the chance. Reading though these lists often will help remind of just how far you’ve come, and keep you focused on your long term goals.

And remember, life is not easy, nothing in life that beings you true feelings accomplishment, strength, growth, and purpose comes easy. Give yourself some credit : )

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