Fear is a Signal - Time to Grow

Dear Readers,
I wonder if this is something you can relate to...You've been working on self-improvement as a way of life, making progress in a number of areas, doing your best to take forward strides and stay humble while you do it.  You feel pretty good.  I mean, maybe you haven't reached every goal yet, but you're on your way, you're a mover, you're a doer.  Then, out of nowhere, you meet someone truly incredible.  I mean, you name it...looks, business acumen, drive, entertainment value...they just seem to have it all going for them.  Now as firm believers in the Betterment of mankind and ourselves, we know that we don't compare ourselves to Anyone but ourselves.  The only person we should be striving to be better than is who we were yesterday.  Still, it's not always easy - confidence is a skill like any other, and needs to be nurtured and grown over time.  Maybe somewhere in the back of your mind, you're thinking at that moment that you'd love to spend more time with that person, but you're not sure if you're quite on the same level?  Yikes!  What now???

First of all, we don't stop being ourselves.  Changing to meet the expectations of someone else is never the path to authenticity.  There's nothing wrong with putting your best possible self on display to the world and trying to live up to the image of who you want to be.  But if you have to lie to get people to believe that it's who you are, you only end up hurting yourself. 

Next, hold your head up high.  Remember that who you were is not half as important as who you are, which is nothing compared to who you're going to be!  Someday, that very person may be excited to catch a glimpse of You!  Ok, it might not happen overnight, but Life is a journey - you WILL get there, friend.

The final and most important step, is to ask yourself what you're going to do about it.  I've met people over the years that have inspired me to join a gym and start going every day, buy a book on the spot, file paperwork to start my own business, finish and publish a book, and countless other goals.  The trick is to look at those nerves or fear signals you got and use them to drive you further on your quest to better yourself.  Become who you were meant to be, so that you don't ever feel like you're out of place.  Remember, also, that if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room!  Life isn't about hiding where it's safe, being a big fish in a small pond.  Get out there and mingle, learn and grow your way into the person you want to be.  You're doing the right thing by trying to elevate your standards and meet people that inspire you. 

If it happens to be a love interest, hopefully they will see something in you that makes them want to spend more time with you.  But this is the best part, whether it works out or not doesn't really matter in the long run.  The person who inspired you to grow, change and get better may or may not stay in your life for long, but the positive changes you've made as a result are yours to keep, forever.  If it didn't get through to that person at that moment, who cares?  That's the past now.  Whoever comes along next may see it, and it will do you that much more good.

So continue living your grand adventure, absorbing motivation and changing for the better.  Don't forget to be yourself and keep looking for your next step forward.  Don't look back, except to learn.  You never know, you might even be inspiring someone else to change for the better too.  Talk to you soon,
Professor Betterment