Have you ever asked yourself, “How can I change my life?”
At some point in time, I think everyone asks this, though we each have different goals and reasons for that change.
The author of this statement was Robert H. Schuller. He was a clergyman, but the comment applies to just about everything in life. I guess there is something for which that comment would not be appropriate, but I have no idea what that would be. I believe he was saying that you can make changes in your life, you can win in life, whatever that means for you, once you begin working on those changes.
Winning starts with beginning. Just for giggles, I put the word winning into Google. There are a LOT of entries for that, and a lot of people are interested in the term. I guess most of us want to win at something. I checked winning in life, and that gets a lot of searches as well. Over a million, actually. That gets me wondering if a lot of people are unhappy with their life. Are you?
A few people in life do not want to win at anything, but I doubt that many of them are reading this. Most of us, I think, like the feeling that comes with knowing we did something well.
How to win in life gets to be a bit trickier.
Most of us would like to win in life, but we are afraid we will fail. That generally means we do not start. If you do not do anything, does that not mean, almost by definition, that you will not win? How can you win? You cannot win the Power Ball if you do not buy a ticket, right?
That seems, I think, obvious. Look around you, however. How many people want to change their lives but do not take action on those goals. Do they have dreams or only wishes? Aren’t they wishing to win the Power Ball but not buying a ticket?
What is a little less obvious is that if you do not put some effort into achieving your goals, there is no way you can achieve them. Is this not somewhat like New Year’s resolutions? People say, “This year, I will….” and by the next week, the resolution is history. Something happened, and suddenly, all the fears and concerns of failing raised their ugly heads, and we crawled back into our normal daily lives, ignoring the pleas in our hearts to try to reach our dreams.
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Have you made a New Year’s resolution to make a change in your life?
Many people want to change their lives if the popularity of New Year’s resolutions is any indication, but they do not work on those changes. Are you one of those people, or are you determined to make a lasting change in your life?
Think back to your teen years. Maybe even pre-teen. Do you remember a time when someone told you that you could not do something, you dug in your heels and said, “Oh, yeah? Says who?” You then moved what seemed to be mountains and did exactly what others said you were not capable of doing.
Remember that? Think about how you felt. Didn’t you feel good, great even???
You ignored the negativity of others and did what your heart wanted to do. And you “won.”
You might not have won a contest or any money, but you felt so good, you felt you won. Right?
I will acknowledge that what you did might have been … oh… less than advised … and would scare the logical adult you now are, but I am not discussing that. I want you to remember how you felt being successful.
You can still get in touch with that inner you that has a burning dream. I will also acknowledge that the dream might need a few tweaks, but it can probably still be possible in some shape or form. Stop being afraid to be you.
You probably did not win an Olympic gold medal by the time you were 25. You probably did not earn a million dollars by the time you were 25, either.
Does that mean you cannot somehow do something related to your dream? Maybe you can get involved in Special Olympics and help someone else win gold. Maybe you can earn a million by the time you are 40 (or 50, or even later!!!). You can begin making changes in your life at any age or in any situation.
There is something in you that you would like to accomplish.
There is a change in your life that you would like to make. Can you take it out of hiding and shed some light on it? Can you think of a way to make changes in your life and make your dream come true? You might find this article from Psychology Today is helpful: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-you/201711/three-signs-you-are-winning-life
Whatever your dream, you must first start. Given my background, I would say many of you would like to earn a degree or an advanced certificate in some field. What is stopping you? Do I need to publish many stories about people who have accomplished things against a lot of negative odds? What would it take for me to write a story or blog post about how you accomplished your educational goal in the face of a lot of adversity?
How do I start to change my life?
Toss me your fears. If you and your friends can join me, we can figure out ways to get you started on your goals.
Are you afraid to start college, or a job, or any other major step in life?
Are you in college and afraid you will not finish?
Let me know, and I can probably toss some options back to you. I can provide support and encouragement as you change your life.
Let me help you begin to thrive and live the life you want to live.
Is that asking too much?
Yeah, yeah. You might not reach your dream. That is always a possibility. There is also the possibility that I can help. Would you rather reach your 70th birthday and wonder, “What if?” or would you rather reach your 70th birthday and know you gave your dream your best effort? I recently read, I do not remember the source, that the definition of Hell was when, after you died, your self at that time met the self that could have been. Would you rather wonder what you could have done, or would you rather know that you gave it your all?
If you found this helpful, please share it with someone you think would also find it useful. I would appreciate it. Your friend might appreciate it too.
Have you ever lost points on an assignment because you forgot to do something? My assignment checklist can help you remember the details. Check it out! It is FREE!!!!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave me a note.
Valerie
updated 7 July 2022