The First Step

So today I went fishing for inspirational quotes to see if they might spark something within me...we shall see.

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." --Mark Caine

"Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed- there is so little competition."
-- Elbert Hubbard

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God." --Leo Buscaglia

"What you get from achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." -- Zig Ziglar

"Always continue the climb. It is possible to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it."
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

    Life is all about remembering and becoming who we were meant to be. A lot of us have experienced a life that tore us down, that left us bruised and battered. But we can choose to become diamonds in the rough. Humans have the potential to overcome anything and everything...as long as we have the necessary support. None of us can make it through the storm alone. Believing we are alone is what causes us to feel trapped. Believing we are alone is what causes us to consider suicide. Believing we are alone is what causes us to doubt our impact. This belief keeps us blind to the possibility that there is a way out.
    It is always possible to get out, but we must be willing to climb, we must not fear the climb. And with our family and friends by our side, we can begin to give ourselves permission to enjoy the journey. We can choose to stop for a breather every now and again. We can choose to stop and smell the roses on this climb of ours. Every step you take on this journey shows you that you have always been strong. Because you could have chosen to stop. You could have chosen to give it all up. You could have chosen to let the grief swallow you whole. The fact that you didn't shows just how powerful and courageous you are.
    Don't just heal for your sake, choose to heal yourself for the sake of the world. Become the best version of you for the sake of humanity. This does not mean you must get rid of your flaws and imperfections...it means you must embrace your flaws and imperfections. As a quote I discovered on Facebook goes, "You can't hate yourself into a version of you that you love." So start with loving who you are and start with loving where you find yourself. I know for me, that's a tall order, but I am working on embracing all of myself. Growth cannot happen until you accept all that you are and all that played a part in forming the 'you' you are in this moment. Put your whole heart into this process and you will see progress.