pygmalion

it's hard to throw things out sometimes.  there are some things you carry that you don't use right now, but you can imagine times down the road when you'll want to have it.

it's trickier still when doing this as an inventory of your personal character.

i've been looking at myself, knowing that i'm a good person with lots of awesome qualities but also acknowledging that i have areas to improve, to brush up on, to strengthen, and to flat out change.
and it can be tricky, in a couple of ways.

first, it's hard to clearly see some weaknesses as they really are.  there are too many people running around trying to "improve" things that they are already excellent in yet see themselves as deficient, while needing to spend more effort on another area of their lives.  it's funny how so many perceive as their greatest weakness things that the rest of us see as one of their defining strengths.

it's also hard to know what areas don't need improving but simply haven't had their season of usefulness. is there something to fix or to change or discard, or is it simply that you aren't in the right circumstance, whatever it is.  just because something isn't working immediately doesn't mean it's wrong.

and finally, it takes humility to see that there are some things that i need to do that are simply hard.  it takes a little strength to look honestly into the mirror and to agree to yourself that you'll be a little better about that.
i'm working on it.