An ongoing lesson for me that hits home today more than ever. I don’t deny that I fall in the trap of giving advice to everyone around me, but when it comes to me and my life, I seem to get stuck and I can’t live with my own advice. Don’t we all do that at some point?!

I was faced with this reality time and time again and I always gave myself the excuse that it is easier said than done. That’s not far from reality, but am I really listening to myself??

I was awakened by a conversation I had with one of the closest people in my life. I heard my own words, my own thoughts; my own advice, from the same person I once advised about almost the same subject. It was not so much the issue rather than the concept itself. And so I ask myself: why can’t I do what I am advising others to do?  Isn’t that like being a hypocrite? I mean. It’s hard on them too just as much as it’s hard on me. What gives me the right to point out others’ shortfalls when I got them myself. Am I that blind or am I that scared???

A combination of many things lead me to believe that it’s time for me to change. It’s time I confront the subjects I have been avoiding. It’s time to let go of what I can’t change. It’s time to accept things just the way they are. It’s time to feel grateful for everything even the things that hurt me. It’s time I open up a new book in my life. It’s time to have peace – the one thing I have been searching for all my life.

I know I’m not perfect – far from it. And I know I make mistakes and will continue to mess up – and that’s ok. I know I will fall – but I know I always get back up. I know I have lost so much – but I also gained. I know I am not complete – but I won’t give up until I am. I’m living a moment where everything is becoming crystal clear, whether I like it or not. Confronting myself with my fears, with my shortfalls, with my dreams, with all that comes with it. Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty. There is a lot of risks. There is a lot of emotions to be dealt with. And I can do it anyway. I’m still standing, right?? The best of me is yet to come. And I know in my heart, I am not alone.

So make a habit of practicing what you preach. It is easy to give other people advice on how to handle situations, but much harder to apply it ourselves.  Just remember every time you tell someone what to do, ask yourself, can you do the same thing? and will you? You have come a long way if you just ask yourself that question.