reunited

I don't believe in first impressions. Because they can be wrong. They can also be limiting. If a first impression is the only chance you give to people then you are actually admitting that people cannot change. Which is a harmful perspective to take on life, and on yourself.

There are of course truths in a first impression, but that is only part of a story that is a whole person. You must continue to know someone in order to fully understand that part you saw upon meeting them. Furthermore, you must not hold previous impressions against a person when you see them the next time, and the next, and so on and so forth. Especially after a long period of time, for when you attempt to compare a previous understanding of a person you limit your perspective and place your interaction in a box without any escapes. 

I saw my brother for the first time in I don't know how long today. He and his family moved way north, like North Dakota, and have been unable to visit for almost a decade. Seeing him today felt like a piece shifting back into the puzzle of my life, but the piece is different than it has been before. And I embrace that. Sure, somethings will be the same I'm sure, but I have learned through time and experience that growth is a beautiful part in the journey of life. We do not always measure growth accordingly as we sometimes only want to chunk it off in sections defined by society. That isn't a true measurement comparing yourself to the predetermined expectations of the world. We all move and adjust at our own pace finding our own ways. 

In my yoga practice, I am proud of the movements I have made. I don't have any super amazing pose to snap a picture of and claim my mastering of the practice, but the funny thing is that I no long desire that validation. I feel the growth of my practice in the way I see the world, the lifestyle adjustments of peace and an unhurried pace, my appreciation for the community I take part in, and my own power within my self that I discover through self-love and discipline of practice. 

I think it is important to not hold ourselves to our own first impression. Who you were yesterday is not who you have to be today. The opportunity to grow and change is ahead of you, not in the past. So stop looking at who you were, what you have done, and the way you talk to yourself and look ahead to who you can become, what you are capable of, and change your self-talk to inspire and motivate the movements that must be made in order for you to reach the change. Growth occurs in phases, and the only measurement is you.