This afternoon I have been going through my photo archives and remembering. I have held back tears upon finding photos and realising that I am the only person still living in some of them. I have laughed with joy at the expressions on the faces of those captured by the moment in others.
I have gazed at photos of the Garden Gnome and myself taken oh-so-long-ago and marvelled at how much 20 years can change a person. I have grimaced at the fashions of the 80’s and marvelled that in one photo I modelled a plastic bag and managed to make it look good! lol
But every photo tells a story. Each photo is a part of me and who I am.
As I have been studying, I have been learning more about myself. I have spent a lot of time in introspection and this allows growth. For if we do not grow, how can we assist others in growing? In a webinar I undertook the other day, the tutor said “You cannot take a person where you have not been yourself”. These words really jumped out at me.
Whilst I was wandering through my pictorial archives, I found this old digital scrapbook layout that I created about myself in 2006 and marvelled that I haven’t really changed all that much in the past 9 years.
I’d like to think that I’ve changed and I guess I have in many ways but underneath it all my core values have stayed the same.
I still struggle with self-criticism (I’m my own harshest critic), I aim high and then when I land amongst the stars, I pine for the moon. Those aren’t really great attributes to have and changing them is a long and arduous process. However it can be done. I have no doubt in myself that I can change my mindset around acceptance and happiness with where I am at.
As to the other things?
I’m still loyal.
I still love nature.
I still love too much.
I still want to help and heal the hurts of the world and those I love.
They are values I’m quite happy to keep.
If there is one thing that I have learned it is that life is an evolution of self. We can change much about ourselves but our values are shaped and defined by our experiences from the moment we leave the womb.
Values can be changed with hard work but I’m not sure I want to change some of mine.
I am beginning to learn that it is quite beautiful amongst the stars! 🙂
You have very good insight about yourself Sue and still try to develop yourself.
I wish more would do the same 😉
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As long as we know who we are and going in life Irene then that is what is important. 🙂
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You are still awesome 🙂
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Oh thank you my dear. So nice to see you.
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Great post Sue. Isn’t it interesting to look back at ourselves 🙂
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It is interesting. Sometimes disconcerting. But always interesting for sure.
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You are one of the brightest stars. Replace those negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones. Or….when you find yourself criticizing yourself, ask yourself to prove it—-kind of like you would ask another person. Let me know if this works for you. It is really working for me!
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I like that approach April. Asking for proof is wonderful.
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It is beautiful among the stars Suz but mainly because you’re up there. Your values are just fine Sweetie and they make you who you are, the person that so many of us come here to see.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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xxx thank you David. 🙂
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You are such a beautiful spirit! Your gentleness shines through.
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Naw. You’re such a honey my dear. 🙂
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Great post!! I admire you. 🙂
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Thank you John. Your words always mean so much to me. 🙂
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I’m pretty much the same as I was, just older.
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Ha ha. I’m definitely older as well but some things have changed.
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Beautiful words written by a thoroughly beautiful person. X
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Oh. Thank you so much Jane. That is such a lovely thing to say. 🙂
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Looking back at your younger self is an interesting exercise. If I were to write out a synopsis of my personality it would read much like yours. I’m working on self belief and trying to stop the inner critic too, maybe we’ll get there one day 🙂
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I think we will Marie. I do believe that many of us who reach this point in our lives begin to work on ourselves now that the vanity of youth has passed us by.
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