Change is inevitable. It happens whether we make a conscious decision to do it or not.

One of the biggest and most profound realizations that I had in my life was the moment that I stepped back from the world of personal development, self help, and personal growth and realized that the thing that was creating the most issues within me was this notion that who I am...today...is not good enough. I spent so much time thinking the personal growth was the cure, that it never occurred to me that it was actually the symptom. A symptom of a shattered ego, a poor reflection of self...a bright beacon flashing telling me one simple truth: that who and what I am...today...just isn't good enough.

Seeking to improve, this drive to change who we are, it creates this disconnect in our minds that the present version of ourselves is someone that we judge unfavorably. And we reinforce that notion by thinking that if we don't maintain that drive to change, then our actual circumstances will never improve. It's a delicious paradox of the highest order.

For example, at what I consider to be my worst point in life I was divorced, bankrupt, depressed and suicidal. If I were to flash back to that moment, how, in my right mind, could I ever suggest to myself that my desire to change was somehow unfounded? My life was in shambles, and I was completely miserable. Suggesting to me that I didn't have to change would have been one of the most ridiculous things you could have said to me.

But the irony is that that would have been one of the most powerful realizations I could have had. It was the discontent, that broken self-image, that causing all the chaos! My constant desire to be something other than what I was is precisely the catalyst that drive my life into self-destruction.

For me, the most powerful truth is that change is inevitable. As long as there is breath in your body, the world is going to shape and mold you and change you. The path that you take in that change is dictated by how you feel in this present moment. If you're feeling discontent and anxious, constantly seeing your flaws and imperfections, it's going to drive you to make choices and changes that won't ultimately solve the problem. You may improve your physical circumstances (and that is a worthy goal), but you won't be addressing the root issue: the feeling that if your life isn't a certain way, then you are somehow flawed and imperfect.

The solution, I have found, is boldly declaring "This is who I am!" and becoming more sure in the present moment that, despite my personal perceptions and judgments, who I am today is ENOUGH. Whatever I am right now is beyond perfection and that I do not NEED to change. The paradox is that when you realize that, the change will happen automatically and effortlessly. When you are at peace with who you are, your perception of the world will change you will begin to imagine your possibilities again.