The challenge of self-improvement

Wow, it’s a challenge to be an evolving human being, isn’t it?
Working on ourselves — striving for self-improvement —sometimes feels like the road less travelled when we’re on it. It can be a struggle staying on the path.

There are situations in life where I think it would be easy to take the low road, to hit back at another person whose behaviour seems inappropriate. And sometimes in the heat of the moment, I do take that low road.

Then comes the review of that moment — seeing the other person’s behaviour as a reflection of their own inner struggle; it’s not aimed at me. Realising that the behaviour that so irks me in them may well be present in me, too. Boy, is that confronting and uncomfortable!

The best part of me thinks I'd rather be uncomfortable than coast through life unconscious of the effect I have on others. The worst part of me would be quite at ease with coasting!

Work on ourselves is really hard sometimes. But what's the alternative?

There are some days when all that’s possible is putting one foot in front of the other. Those aren’t the days for in-depth reviews of how we may have treated other people in the process.

But when we're doing better, we can do better. Not by changing the world in a day, but by changing ourselves little by little. Even if we do take three steps forward and two steps back!