Live Your Life by Design!

"Change hurts. It makes people insecure, confused, and angry. People want things to be the same as they've always been, because that makes life easier." – Richard Marcinko.

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic holiday! Hopefully you were able to relax with family and friends. It is great to see family, but I have a really hard time relaxing.

I spent part of the holiday reviewing two notebooks I have with me all the time full of ideas and thoughts. One of the notebooks had notes from a recent seminar. On one page in block letters I had simply written, "DON'T WAIT FOR A LIFE CHANGING EVENT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE." It took me a minute to remember why I had written it and what it meant. The message was from a presenter that had been in the hospital and faced a near-death experience. He described in detail watching the heart monitor flatline on himself almost as if he were outside his body. He survived, but the experience gave him a new appreciation for life. His point was life is fleeting and fragile. If there is something you need or want to do, take action now. As always it made me start thinking.

Several months ago I had dinner with a friend that announced he was resigning his position to spend more time traveling and with his family. Work was taking him away from his family and he was ready for a new chapter in his life. I remember thinking how smart he was to prioritize what was important and to take the steps necessary to live his life by design.

Tragically, my friend was involved in an accident this fall that left him a quadriplegic. Obviously, the change he is going through is about as life changing as it gets. However, he is a true champion and inspiration. I think it would be easy for someone in his position to be consumed with bitterness. However, he is embracing the changes in his life. I have nothing but admiration for his determination and winning mindset. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if his situation can be overcome he is the one that can do it.

So my message this week is take action to live your life by design and put a check mark next to another item on your bucket list! If you need to make changes in your life, do it while you can. Don't wait for a life-changing event or near-death experience to prioritize what is important or appreciate things in your life you take for granted. When change happens to you, even if it appears for the worst, embrace it and turn the lemons into lemonade.

Have an awesome week and rock on!

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