“Twenty years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain
The reason people stay stuck in their circumstances, is because they expect change to come from outside of them, rather than from within. It is as though they are waiting for permission to move forward when they must first take action themselves. As the saying goes: “Nothing changes, if nothing changes.”
While some people have good intentions, their actions don’t line up to support them. Granted, they may have goals they’re pursuing, yet years later those goals remain in the distance because they didn’t act on them. Doing nothing while the world around us changes makes us an inevitable victim to outside forces. Most people are committed to change, but can’t get past the hurdles that inhibit their progress. They may begin with great momentum, though a month later they are back to a familiar routine. Change must come from within, even the smallest step forward is enough to propel you in the right direction. This step can create the greatest change in your life, but must be accompanied by well-intentioned objectives.
When you change your language from balancing to prioritizing, you see your choices more clearly and open the door to changing your destiny. If nothing changes, nothing changes. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting. You want change, make some. The change cycle reveals the six stages of change (Loss, Doubt, Discomfort,Discovery, Understanding and Integration). Beginning with Loss, which is characterized by feelings of fear and being paralyzed and concludes with Integration, highlights the benefits one experiences when settled into a new process. A new life is possible when you take consistent action, in spite of your fears and doubts. In this way, you make incremental changes without speeding up towards your future in haste.
We have forgotten that courage is a choice, and that permission to move forward with boldness is never given by old systems and ways. Most have forgotten that seeking change always requires a touch of insecurity. If taking action before the perfect conditions arise, or before we receive permission, is painful, then we must be ready to endure our painful steps forward. It is our sense of positive progress we must embark upon to bring fulfillment, passion and joy to our lives. Regret and resentment cannot dwell in the heart and mind of a person committed to their work.
Abandon your pain and disillusionment and reach beyond the comforts of your mind to seek a life of wonder where dreams and the efforts required to meet them are embraced. Dare to be exceptional. Dare to be brave. Awaken your inner spirit and alight the radiance of your greatest self that summons you to create a life of purpose and meaning.
Peace and Love, Jim
