You can do it!

One thing that has plagued me throughout my life has been a lack of confidence in my abilities. That has led from failures to stagnation and a lack of desire to try anything new in the past.

A couple of major developments in my life have helped me improve in this area. The first was finding my wife. I lived like a monk until I was 38 years old because I was afraid to try to be in a relationship. It took me a little while, but I got the hang of dating again and I eventually met a good woman who not only could tolerate my imperfections, but actually liked me enough to marry me. The second thing was returning to college to finish my degree. Doing that and working full time was the second hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but I persevered and made to the other side. My degree is hanging on the wall behind me as a type this.

What it all boils down to is this: do not be afraid to try to make your life better. You can have all the ability in the world but not realize it if you are paralyzed by fear. You can have the ability to accomplish great things but be stuck in a bad situation forever by being mired in self doubt. You'll never know what you are truly capable of until you try.

Oh, and the hardest thing I've ever done? I lived through ten years of suffering from the untreated symptoms of bipolar disorder. I was pretty much detached from reality for a decade. But if you have been here for a while you already know that story.