Step toward self-improvement Published Sept. 12, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Bryan Sodders 90th Missile Wing Honor Guard F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Self-improvement: This is a topic that we talk about all the time, but how many times do we act on what we know needs improving in our lives? We all know what we need to improve, but why don't we act to change our situation? Whatever your excuse may be, why not stop saying that today and take a step toward what you want to improve? It may be going back to school or studying for that next strip. Whatever it is, I ask you to make the change today. Stop wasting time that you are not guaranteed tomorrow. I do not want you to have to say one day "I wish I did X, Y, and Z." If you take a step in the right direction you won't ever have to be a person who wishes they did something or waited too long to do something and ran out of time to complete it. Additionally, I would like to touch on two important quotes. "It's never too late to be who you might have been" - George Eliot. This can really hit home if you understand what is being said. Never wait to do something because you never know how it will change your life for the better. What are you going to do so that you will always know who you are? The second quote is "Success is 99% failure" - Soichiro Honda. How many times have you tried something and ended up failing? Did you give up trying or try again? If you did fail, I challenge you to try again. Remember: no one is perfect and never will be. Sometimes you will succeed greatly at a task. Other times you go to stand up and you fall flat on your face. If you never stand up to try again, you will never know how tall you will be able to stand. Then once you start making a change to improve yourself, others will hopefully notice and make a step in the right direction. In closing, Vincent Van Gogh stated, "If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint ... and that voice will be silenced." Start listening to that voice that keeps telling you what you need to improve , down the road, you can have the feeling of accomplishment. Best of luck on your journey to your own personal self-improvement.