Man is a work in progress...I guess woman is too. We all were not made as a final product; we were made with an incredible opportunity to create and shape ourselves. I mean there are elements of our being that cannot be changed. Where one was born and how they were raised are factors of life that were not up for deciding, and these factors definitely play a role in the person that an individual becomes. Yet there are other aspects of ourselves that are moldable. However, I find that myself and others often get caught into a trap of saying, “That’s just who I am” as an excuse for habits and decisions. Stop being a victim of yourself.

No. That is not who you are. You are not a rock that is destined to be shaped by the world around it. You have the ability to break and to make new habits. However, this means that you have to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable is usually an attribute that is feared. To be vulnerable means that you put it all on the line. You take a risk. You face absolute failure. When altering these habits or attributes that you possess, you face failing. You face falling back into your old ways. However, the risk of not being vulnerable is even greater: you risk regression instead of progression. After all, what is the point if you are not aspiring to strengthen and improve who you are? Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is simply a stepping stone along the path of success. So, you mess up. So what? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. To stop progressing out of fear of failure is lazy and cowardice.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of growth and advancement; being human means that we have this incredible opportunity to be vulnerable. We have this opportunity to completely and totally screw things up, but we also have the opportunity to advance from that. Challenge yourself in order to improve--are you always planning and trying to determine where life is going to take you every moment of the day? Force yourself out of that comfort zone and choose spontaneity. Are you always spontaneous which leads to independability? Try making a plan. There are so many ways that we can take personal responsibility for our lives and make a change to improve it. So, do it.