Have you ever written yourself off as a lost cause?  Given up hope in yourself?  Disappointed yourself one too many times?

I have.  And it hurts.

This quote means a lot to me because I’ve been there and I’ve given up on my dreams before.  Sometimes I gave up on them with a shrug and the muttering of a disappointed “Oh well…”.  Other times it was as a reaction to some unforeseen circumstance becoming an obstacle making my dream too hard to accomplish.  And still other times there were dreams that I readily gave up on because I never thought they were meant for people like me. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

At any point in our lives, we have the ability to change things.  We are, afterall, not victims.  It took me so long to understand that and really realize that my life is exactly what I make of it!!  If I give up on a dream, a goal, an idea, then that is my choice.  And each time I have done that in the past, it chipped away at my self-esteem and furthered my belief that I couldn’t do it. 

Things change when you start achieving your goals.  Setting a small goal, reaching it, and then being proud of yourself for your accomplishment is very powerful stuff. 

When I reflect on the quote… “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”  I am humbled by the fact that I relate so well to it.  I can identify with the quote because at many points in my life, I felt like I was never going to be the person that I wanted to be, the person that I am now.  And I always felt like I made the wrong decisions so early in life that made my dreams impossible for me.  It was too late.  I couldn’t change my future.  I truly believed that it was already written for me and done with.

And I was so wrong.

And through God’s grace, I am a much different person now.  I am the person I always wanted to be.  And I am happy.  (If it seems like I say that a lot, it’s true.  I do say it a lot because I am SO stoked to be able to say it and mean it.  When you are so miserable for so many years, finding true happiness is precious and something I am so grateful for.  Hope my happy-happy-la-la ness doesn’t annoy anyone!! :)) 

Life truly is a process of evolution for us as people.  We grow, change, and improve (hopefully!) as time goes by.  But these things do not happen on their own.  None of my changes were handed to me on a silver platter like I always wanted.  It has taken hard work and a lot of prayer, conviction, and willingness to make these changes. 

So please tell me, folks!  What does this quote mean to you?  How do you interpret it?  What would you have been?  I simply LOVE reading your comments so discuss away!!