A plant that isn’t growing is actually dying.  If you aren’t moving forward, you’re actually moving backwards.  There is no middle ground or neutral.  One of the most valuable lessons we can learn is investing in ourselves so we are continually moving forward.  We can usually see the benefit of investing in others—our children, our spouse, our church leaders, etc.—but we don’t always see the benefit of investing in ourselves.

Many of us are beautiful on the outside—we look like we have it all together, but we are frustrated, anxious, stressed out or alone because we haven’t invested in ourselves.  We are slowly dying.  And before we know it, we have settled into the rhythm of mediocrity.  When we invest in ourselves, we set aside time to meditate, pray, learn from others, network, spend time with a mentor and reflect on our vision.  We give ourselves permission to see what “can be” even though it may “not be” just yet.  Investing in ourselves means investing in our dreams and nurturing them.  Designing a personal vision board that depicts our life’s goals and mission is helpful in keeping us focused and on course.  Finding ourselves surrounded by those who are smarter than us gives us new insight and perspective.

It’s worth it to spend time and resources to bettering ourselves.  We are worth it.  You are worth it.  Your future depends on it.  Your happiness is directly connected to the time you invest in yourself.  True fulfillment comes from living out your purpose (or working towards that) everyday.  It’s not too late to start investing in yourself and living your purpose.  With every dream, comes work.  Don’t be afraid to work and invest in activities that help you do the work.

Let’s invest in ourselves, grow and see what we can become.  Make time for you and don’t apologize for it.

~Coletta Jones Patterson

 *For more inspiration on your journey, check out my latest book, “Developing Faith that Wins: Stories of My Journey” available on http://www.amazon.com or my website at http://www.moveu4ward.net.