making peace with inner dualities

I'm on a different road now than I was ten, even five, years ago, and yet I'm still headed in the same direction. One of the ways I've gained more freedom in my life is by accepting my flaws and making peace with my inner dualities... those aspects of myself that appear to be in conflict with each other.

I've resisted and fought change.
I've been forced to change.
I've welcomed, embraced, and even initiated change.
I let go too easily sometimes, and other times hold on too tightly.
I've overcome many hurdles and obstacles, while trying to avoid others.
I've wanted to quit. I have quit when maybe I shouldn't have, and I've pushed through when I should've quit.
I'm softer and stronger.
I'm more flexible and still really stubborn sometimes.
I'm more nurturing and sometimes I still want to keep to myself. I'm more patient and loving and still get impatient and angry sometimes.
I'm really hard on myself and I've learned to forgive and love myself.
I'm still the same person, but am also different.

This is life.

Making the important changes doesn't happen overnight. We are human. We may desire change *and* still find comfort in the way things are and our old habits. We may long to respond to life differently and still resort to old ways.
I have come to accept these "contradictions" within myself and encourage you to do the same.
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Part of the human experience is embracing it all.... even the messy parts. Life isn't perfect and neither are we.