Nothing lasts without maintenance which means we have to earn what we want in life. But more, we have to learn to keep what we have. Otherwise, we can lose everything we’ve worked for.
believe me. I know.
Everything needs to be kept and updated and cleaned and used, like an engine with moving parts, which need to be oiled and used accordingly.

I have seen things in my life. I have noticed friendships and people and loved ones. I have seen what happens when people wither away or become distant and gone.

There is no need to run away from who we were. More importantly, there is no reason to hide from who we are now.
I have been told that man is who he thinks he is. I have been told that if I think that I am unworthy or that I am unsuccessful, or if I believe that I am incapable of anything better than what I have now, or if I believe that I only deserve mediocrity, or when I look at others and see myself as subservient to them or beneath, then yes, this is all I can ever be.

However, if action creates change and motion builds confidence, if I allow myself, then I can surpass any of my limitations one item at a time.

I was sitting in a comfortable chair across from a soft-spoken man in a room that was softly lit. The room was comfortable and quiet with healthy plants and some pictures on the wall, books in a book case, and a few diplomas were hung. There were also some awards to match the intentional education of being a therapist. This was a nice place and he was a nice man.
I can say that for sure.
He asked the right questions.
I can say that too.
He was the wrong person for me, however, and while I knew this would not be a good fit, I made an agreement with myself to give myself an honest chance.

What was the best day of your life?
Do you have one? Or maybe you have more than one.
Do you?
By the way, it’s okay to have more than one best day. Or we can put this in order from some of the best to the absolute best.
We can take this in any direction you would like.

At the same time, love is love, right?
Love for one person is not the same as the love we feel for our family.
Understand?

If our aim is to improve and transform, then we have to be aware of where to begin. We have to take notes and be aware of ourselves on all sides.
We have to understand our weaknesses and our strengths. To improve, we have to learn to grow, and, more importantly, we have to be willing to work on our self-development without shame or fear.
We cannot give way. We cannot excise ourselves or allow us to be lazy.
This is the intention of our action or wellness plan.

We began this by creating a platform. Next, we talked about who we wanted to include in our wellness plan. We discussed who is best equipped to be on our home team and who is most supportive.
We also discussed who we should stay away from or who it would be best to avoid.
Too many cooks in the kitchen is never helpful. So, we decided to a pick a team that will help suit our needs.

I remember back when I was a kid and I did something wrong or found myself in trouble. Either my parents, or a teacher, or maybe it was one of the assistant principals, or even the principal or a guidance counselor would ask me the same question.

Why did you do that?

I don’t know . . .

I can assure you that the past has a way of reappearing. I can say that memories will come, and memories can lie. I can say there are remnants from the past and regrets and silent battles of mistakes or things we said which were words of anger or maybe we did something “in the moment” and then eventually, the head cooled and the realization comes to mind.

Here’s a question:
Ever say, “Man, I wish I didn’t say that!”
Yet, you did say it. And not only that, you said it with anger and in the worst way possible.

The point is that we do go backwards. We fall off or we fall back into old routines. Not every hit will be a home run and not every day will be great. But nothing ever has to be so bad again.
You know this.
Right?
They told me that relapse is part of recovery. And maybe it is. I have no idea what is in store for you or anyone else.
I know that I had to fall hard enough to learn to say, no . . .
I think I want better for myself.

I am not sure that life allows us an endless amount of chances to repair ourselves. However, so long as there is breath and ability, then at least we can say there is always possibility.