Successful Improvements

No matter where we live, we see things being improved and upgraded. Change is inevitable but improvement is a choice. In our lives improving who we are should be our number one goal. If we were successful yesterday that was yesterday; today is a new day that needs the improvements learned from yesterday. It is only with improvements that we can be more effective and efficient throughout our lives. Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond says it like this, "Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; we either progress or retrogrades (move backwards)."

3 Improvements

1. Evaluate – An assessment is made to see what can be kept, removed, or added before major reconstruction. There are even cases where pieces that look good are not good because it can't handle the incoming updates. Our lives are similar. We too must evaluate our lives to see what's working and not. We should have a daily attitude that says like Lowes, "We, Never Stop Improving!"

Evaluate what’s going on in your life. Pay attention to what you are spending a lot of time doing. There is a saying that says, "There is a difference between movement and progress." Know which one you are doing more of each day. Develop your internal voice to listen to the truth of every matter that you're in. Improve yourself by evaluating where you are and making changes daily.

2. Exonerate – This is a big word that means to forgive. When improvement needs to take place we can’t keep reliving the past hoping and wishing things would just get better. A builder would be ineffective if he allowed the memory of a fifty year old structure to cloud his plans for improvement. We should not allow our past hurts or accidents to keep us from making the necessary changes to our lives. Let's move the rottenness no matter how much we like it. We must not allow the good or the bad to hinder our ability to improve.

John Maxwell says, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn." Learning can only take place when there is an open heart to improve. There once was a martial arts master that asked Bruce Lee to teach him everything he knew. Bruce Lee responded, "You must first empty everything out of your cup to receive what's in mine." Holding on to what you once did and how it once was will hinder your improvement. Exonerate (forgive) and learn from your good past and bad past. Forgive yourself and improve YOU!

3. Esteem – Improvements must be put top on the list.  If something is not improving it’s deteriorating. I was on a cruise ship once and saw the crew men painting the boat. I asked them, "How often did they paint?" He responded with weekly." Each week these men painted the boat because they knew what the salt water was doing to it daily. In our lives we have something that's deteriorating who we are too. It's called mediocrity. When improvements are esteemed we will make time and provide the resources to make it happen.

Improving yourself is something you must do daily. It's like taking a bath, no matter how well you scrubbed yesterday there is more to scrub today. Improving is a never ending cycle so make it a daily habit.

Summary - Improve your life by evaluating it, exonerating it, and esteeming it. You can be successful at being the best you possible by being persistence and diligence at making tomorrow better than today.

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