I Used to Get Frustrated.

Now I don't. Ever.

Okay, so that's not true.

But I have learned something that has greatly eased my frustration in one area.

I used to get really discouraged... I would want to change some area of my life so bad! And I would try hard to work on it. But I didn't seem to get anywhere.

(Maybe because I only tried really hard for a few days... :P)

Anyway, I would feel like change never really "stuck", and that I wasn't getting anywhere. I would write about it in my journal... what I was noticing I needed to change, and how hard it was.

I would read great books... and feel like I wasn't really getting anything, like nothing really changed. I would pray and ask God to help me. I would talk to my parents.

But...

I didn't see much difference. What's the use? Why try so hard to change if you don't see any results?

However.

Now that I am ancient (kidding!) and looking back on my struggles to change this area or that one, I see much more than I did then. Sure, I may not have changed suddenly or spectacularly.

But now-- behold! Progress!!

Change isn't instantaneous after all! It takes time and effort.

Don't be discouraged when you aren't suddenly kind to your siblings every moment of every day! Or when you don't suddenly pray for hours every day!

Change comes in stages...

Just being really dissatisfied with something in your life or getting really excited about a new way of doing things will start you off.

Doing all the things I mentioned previously (writing about it, praying, talking to adults, reading good books, etc...) will also really help.

And then... you have to take the effort to make those little changes. Over. And over. And over...

I know. That's the hard part.

But...

Do Hard Things! :D