So I asked myself… have I really changed?  Can people actually change?  Is this possible?  I know when people hit the ground hard enough, they are forced to change, but do they eventually go back to being their same, old selves?  I have been working on self-improvement for several years, but it’s hard for me to tell if I am truly changing.  I still find myself having recurring thoughts and habits.  At least I am aware of them, and I do feel a little stronger and less of a people pleaser.  I guess after all those years of having the same thoughts and habits, that they are so ingrained in me, and that change is a gradual process.  It’s sort of like an etched stone when the engraving eventually wears off.  I am practicing patience, because I am determined to break free from the grip of the mind.