growing like weeds

self reflection is a big part of life. the unexamined life isn't worth living. i try to be a better person today than i was yesterday.
we've all come a long way since graduating high school. we've all made great personal growths. some of those advancements lie deep within ourselves, and some rest right up on the surface, obvious to those around us.
it's hardest to see the changes of those you are closest to...like yourself. when i reflect on where i once was, where i am, and where i'm headed i can see the big leaps-and-bounds changes i've made. things like graduating college, finding a career, owning a house. and i like to think that i'm a better, stronger, more well-rounded, friendlier person now than i was even a year ago...but i can't really see these changes myself. deep inside, i know i've grown and changed - but more so in a general, non-specific way. in some of my friends, particularly those i've known longer, i can see the growth in them. i can see the small and big things. even in my friends that i haven't known for as long, i can see how they have developed into fine, upstanding adults. how they carry themselves and how they interact with others...a certain level of poise having been achieved. it's really fantastic. although, i believe life to be a constant learning process, i hope that i have achieved some of this great growth, level of poise that i admire so greatly in my friends.