On Personal Growth (Part Two)

Given, then, that we are not evil, how do we get

started changing ourselves? Well, it's been said

that the longest journey begins with a single step.

It's also been said that we ust crawl before we can

walk. For most people, those two statements are

unalterable Truth. So we need to start with some

small thing, something we may see as insignificant,

or nearly so.

Instead of your morning coffee, have some orange

juice. Once a week at first, then twice, until that

coffee has been replaced at the start of your day.

Or skip one of those daytime soap operas, or some

other show that you watch "religiously." Or you

could read "The Art of Inner Listening" by Jessie

Crum instead of the latest Steven King novel.

These are just examples, suggestions. What

your first step is, is your personal choice. But

once you've accomplished your chosen task,

be sure not to just rest on your laurels. Go

on to change something a little harder, then

something harder still.

As you succeed in changing these smaller

things about yourself, you're building your

self-confidence. And you'll need it eventually.

You'll come to something about yourself that

you want to change that, at first, may seem

too difficult, too ingrained in your being,

too much a part of your self-image to even

contemplate really changing. This is when

you must look back on all the changes you've

already made, and tell yourself, "Hey, I did all

that; I can do this, too!"

Continue on this task of changing yourself,

becoming the person you really want to be, and

you will come to see that what you thought of

as "bad" or "evil" about yourself, wasn't bad at

all. It was merely a way station on your path

of [ersonal growth. You will find that you love

yourself; not in any narcissistic way, but in a

manner of wanting to do whatever it takes to

make yourself an even better person.

You will love yourself, perhaps in spite of

that societal programming we've all been

subjected to which tells us that we must

hate ourselves, or at least certain things

about ourselves, which is really the same

thing when all is said and done.

The man known as Jesus of Nazareth taught,

"Love your neighbor as yourself." The clear

implication is that you must love yourself;

otherwise, how can you truly love your

neighbor, or anyone else for that matter?

And the best way to love yourself is to

continuously strive to improve yourself.

To grow. To evolve.

How far can you evolve? Only you can

answer that question. And you can only

answer it by doing it. And the Nazarene,

Jesus, provided the ultimate answer by

asking a question:

"Does not your Law say, I said, you are gods?"

It's a lifelong quest, and a challenge that we

all, sooner or later, must respond to.