September is Self Improvement Month

Truth be told, I think Self Improvement Month is a bit of a misnomer. The whole "celebration" lends itself to the idea that there is something wrong with us and we need September to fix it! Well, I'm going to give you a little gift in honor of this month. Four basic principles that apply not only in gift giving, but in giving of oneself.

I challenge you to take a break from the self-help stuff (Dr. Phil, winning friends and influencing others, Oprah you've kept on DVD, etc) and instead try some of these activities:

1. BELIEVE. It's such a simple concept, but getting up everyday and believing that you can do anything, be anything is the best gift you can give yourself. If you believe anything is possible, you've already knocked down every obstacle you'll face each day.
2. Have FAITH. Unwavering faith in yourself, your higher power and your ideas and goals will set you up for a win every time.
3. TRUST. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut feeling. There are so many times I've heard myself say, "I should have went with my first mind", which means whatever my gut told me to do first is this thing I should have done; but I second-guessed myself which almost always leads to regret. Trust your own inner voice.
4. HOPE. Last, but certainly not least is hope. Hope is the great motivator. It gives you the courage to try new things, to get out of your own way and team up with people of similar ideals that will help you succeed. No matter what the situation, if you say to yourself, "there is always tomorrow" you've got a fighting chance.
   

Enjoy the month of September by giving yourself a break. It's okay not to be perfect; imperfect people believe in themselves, have faith that they will improve everyday, trust themselves to follow the right path (even when they stumble) and hope for a better tomorrow. In the words, of my favorite Saturday Night Live character, Stuart Smalley, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me. I think that makes me okay.