Beyond Self Improvement

There are times I hate that quote: Self Improvement. It contains “Self” what basically means I have “to do” something and it contains “Improvement” what means; “You can do better”. To accomplish that I need more motivation than: ”personal growth”, to succeed.

By now, you must have noticed English is not my first language. No matter what I try (to improve); there still are odd sentences, typos and possibly verb abuse. Why on earth, did I decide to write this article in English? For worse, I am writing a whole website in English starting three months ago. With a dictionary, one mouse click away, I stumble through my highly desired text. In one session, more words deleting then there exist on the whole website.

The first forum message I wrote was checked several times on typos and grammar before I throw it away, never used. Don’t even speak about chat sessions. It takes me so long to respond that the girl or guy on the other side of the cable must think I am dead already. Now three months later it’s like the English sentences have been sleeping somewhere in my head popping out more and more.

Let me go on for a while, the clue will come at the end!

One year ago, my husband had this enormous idea. “Why not travel with a horse drawn caravan through Europe”, I was just zipping some whine and the only thing (luckily) coming out my mouth was: “sure dear”.

One month after that exciting evening, I stumble with my boots through muddy and other inexpressible bogusness. Three hundred yards away from me, grazing and neighing two mares. If it was for me they could stay there forever, no problem. That was something I misunderstood because those two mares where ours! I was delighted and after a month, I even stroke them on their nose, no big deal. After 1600 miles driving with them it’s as if they are my children, we all are part of one big hurdle.

Just calm down, I told you, the clue comes at the end.

My husband, still the same I am mentioning before, is a luxury beast. He has ADHD and there fore he knows what he want. Not as if everything happens the way he wants but that’s another story. He likes a luxury life, shower and bathroom is a must have, dinners and on-time breakfast are normal, electronically widgets a common part of his life. Traveling with a horse drawn caravan is far away from his comfort zone. Brushing his teeth in a narrow space is more a good practice of shaking your head instead of moving the toothbrush. Washing your hair is a task you avoid by not looking in the mirror. Nevertheless, has he traveled and lived in a seven m2 caravan for almost 11 months.

OK Time for the clue.

These three things:nLearning English and writing a story about an amazing journey, nAlso as a non-horse, type touching and handling two horses, nA luxury beast living in uncomfortable spaces has one similarity.

It has nothing to do with self-improvement, not either with plain education, or in no way with setting your goals. The key word is very simple: dedication.

Remember the dictionary is one mouse click away. Dedication:” the quality of being devoted or committed to something”. (Microsoft® Encarta® Winkler Prins Encyclopedie 2007)

That something was, and is a dream; a life of independency and financial freedom exploring the world together. With no boss sniffing in our neck. No more mortgage and cars we need for work, and work we need for mortgage and car. We did the full swing dream. Friendly goodbye to the boss and we sold our house.

Dedication is more than setting goals. It’s more than self improvement or education together. Dedication is the force to walk that path and to reach that goal. Dedication is crucial for the level of improvement you reach. Dedication is beyond education it gives you profoundness of insight, a lesson for life.

Through dedication I am now sitting behind a laptop, writing my stories, publish them to a broad audience, after a journey with a horse drawn caravan through Europe, 1600 miles and 11 months later, living on 7m2 and still married!n