Originally posted on September 15, 2017 at ruizrealtygroup.com

About two years ago I woke up and realized that I was incredibly unhappy. My life was not where I had hoped it would be at this stage of my life. So began a lot of soul searching. What I learned since then:

1. I always thought of myself as being growth minded yet, when I really delved down deep, I truly wasn’t.
2. For things to change, I needed to change.
3. For growth to happen I had to be okay being uncomfortable … all the time!
4. I had to choose to no longer believe in my limiting beliefs (sounds ridiculous yet what I found was those limiting beliefs were “comfortable” even though they were damaging).
5. If it’s to be it truly is up to ME.
6. Although I professed to want accountability in my life, I really didn’t. It’s humbling to be accountable to someone else.
7. Now that I’m a Mom I want more than anything to leave a legacy with my son that will serve him beyond my own lifetime.
8. I am committed to improving myself and my life each and every day!
9. I TRULY desire to be the best version of who God created me to be.
10. No matter how long it takes I am committed to achieving ALL of my goals.

I heard a couple of sayings that truly resonate with me:

“If you’re not growing you’re dying.” And, “Everyone dies yet not everyone truly lives.”

For far too long I allowed a tragedy to define me and limit what I believe I could achieve in life. It’s so easy to blame other people and circumstances about our lot in life. It’s far more challenging to take ownership of not only where we are in life yet also choosing to take ownership of where we want our lives to go.

What a humbling realization this has been and what an incredibly arduous, challenging and emotional ride it’s been! Contending for growth is not easy yet, for me, it’s been worth every bit of uncomfortableness it’s presented in my life.

I am much more aware of who I am, I am aware of my strengths and my weaknesses. I have, finally, embraced all that I am and for the first time in my life I am comfortable in my own skin. Am I perfect? Far from it! Do I make mistakes. Plenty! Now, I just refuse to allow my mistakes to define me. I choose to learn from them and move on. Sounds simple, right? Well, it hasn’t been for me … until now. I even make mistakes and ask for forgiveness and people have chosen not to forgive me. I choose not to carry that as well. People who choose to be unforgiving is just that … THEIR choice. If you own up to your shortcomings and people are still unwilling to forgive, let it go and move on. God knows your heart and if you’re real with yourself, so do you!

It is a work in progress for sure yet I intend to continue to contend for growth and I hope you do too! Too many people in the world need the gifts and talents you have to share!