“I guess what I’m trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!” – Rocky Balboa

Recently I was having a conversation with a woman who was talking about being scared of the gray areas of her life. She expressed about how the parts of her life that are black and white were the areas she felt most comfortable. I have had some time to think about this conversation, and I can remember feeling exactly the same way. My most vivid memory of this was in high school when I was working on a group project about local prisons and detention centers. The presentation date was quickly approaching and we had not completed the assignment yet. I can remember the overwhelming feeling of not knowing what the outcome was going to be and feeling extremely scared. Our group was very much in a gray area. We ended up completing the project no problem, but that gray area almost killed me.

I have grown and matured in my life, and now I love the gray areas of life. Today the open ends, and unknown represent infinite possibilities. I recently moved across the country to take a job, and it has left a lot of new opportunities and possibilities in my life. I am not completely comfortable with all the ongoing change, but when I start doubting or getting uneasy it is much easier to turn back to the thought of this being a new journey.

The fear has been replaced by optimism, and the outcomes flow easy and effortlessly. I am grateful for this change in my outlook, and I hope you can see the importance of change in your life too.

Affirmation: Today I embrace the changing of my life, and love the opportunities that bloom out of the gray.

Call to Action: Where have you changed or embraced the gray areas of life? How has this impacted you? Please share your experience with the CYLF Family.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Just the other day I watched a video on the computer where Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder received the NBA MVP.  During a portion of his acceptance speech he cited the ability to look back upon the life he has lived and to give credit where it was due and that was to his mother.  He stated how she motivated him, disciplined him, believed in him and provided for him so that his dreams could be realized.

I have a mother like this and for that I am truly blessed.  My life has not always been as easy as it is today and through all the toughest times when I had no interest in the help that was coming my way, my mother loved me and sacrificed for me anyway.  If I honestly look at my life today I can clearly see where her selfless, unconditional love keep me moving forward and even alive at times.

This Sunday is Mothers Day and I am going to take the time to let my Mother know exactly what she has meant to me and give her the credit that is due.  I know when I was a younger man I took all the blessing that were coming my way from my mother for granite, if I recognize that today, now is absolutely the best time to express that to that woman who has always and will always love me.  Here at CYLF we talk allot about unconditional love and in my life I have to look no further than to my mom to see what that looks like in action.

Thank you for my Life…you are truly a “gift from god!”

Affirmation: Today I will show the world the person who my mother has always believed I am!

Call to Action: If you are a mother, thank you for all that you do, please treat yourself and feel the gratitude that this world has for you strength, courage and unconditional love.  If you have a mother or know a mother, take some time to do something for them.  I have found that the little things matter so much more than the big things.  Take some time to see the amount of effort that it took to get you to where you are today and use that experience to give a little back on this perfect reminder holiday.

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” – Aristotle

Energy is an important part of our life. We are consistently using energy during our waking hours. The last few days I have been spending a lot of my time looking for a new living situation in a city I have just moved to. When I am not looking for a new place I am spending a lot of mental energy thinking about it. I realize that I can only control so much, and my energy used to worry about anything I cannot control is not a good use of resources.

Tonight I was coming home from dinner, and I was in a hurry to get home, so I could take care of some business. I did not get back nearly as quickly as I would have liked, and the worry of being too late over took me. I started to focus on my breathing, and tried to relax. In the end all was taken care of, and the out come I was so worried about did not come to pass.

What area of your life is taking up too much of your time and energy? Are you taking care of the things you can control and leaving the results to end up how they may?

Affirmation: I use my energy in a positive way. The good that occurs in my life makes way for the good in other peoples lives. Thank you Life!

Call to Action: Share one thing that you are using your energy for that is giving you life. Also talk about where you might refocus your energy in some area of your life. 

“Status will get you nowhere.  Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone.” – Mitch Albom

Yesterday is was going about my day as usual.   I stop at several houses and do sales presentations for people who are looking to do upgrades at their homes.  It was a very full day so my focus was to make all of my appointments and to keep good time.  I do my best to be present so that I can offer all the answers to each clients questions and to build rapport for all current and futrue business.

Towards the end of my day I was at a home with a client and we were discussing some of her concerns about a service that we had provided.  Throughout the conversation I could tell that there was something else much heavier on her mind.  In that moment I switched out of business mode and looked at her asking, “is everything alright?”  I am not sure if I was expecting just a stock answer but what I got was some real honesty.  This woman was going through what she considers to be the toughest time of her life and that it is getting to hard to handle.  I have learned over the years in my own life how important it is to have someone just hear you out so I listened and stayed very present for her.

As the conversation continued I asked her questions to try and help her see some of the amazing blessings that were very apparent to me, an outside observer.  I kept engaged in the conversation and my drive to stay on schedule and keep the day moving passed me by because I was being called  to serve my fellow man.  This type of circumstance comes my way every so often and if I am too stuck in worrying about myself I may never be able to get to be a part of such amazing human interactions.  By the time we finished our conversation I could tell that some of her weight was lifted and for that I m so thankful, I am also so grateful that I have developed the ability to know when and where I can be of service.

Affirmation: Today I will keep my eyes and my heart open to see and feel where I can be of service to the world around me.

Call To Action: Are you often so concerned with yourself that you don’t realize the struggles of the people around you?  I know I am.  Knowing that I am, I believe is the first step to growing past it.  Take some time today to be a little more conscious of how you are controlled by self.  In my experience, the best way of getting past damaging selfishness is to do selfless acts, so go on out in the world and give freely of you time and talents, let me know if the payment is greater than the effort.

“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity.  We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” – Voltaire

I was having a discussion earlier today with a great friend of mine about relationships.  Through the course of our talk we were trying to find some basic solutions to deal with people who are going through issues in their own lives that can at times seem bothersome.  As usual lots of questions were asked and counter points brought up in an attempt to not just complain about peoples actions but to grow in effectiveness and understanding.

By the end of the discussion we were focused in on the principe of tolerance.  It seems that when I focus on what is “wrong” with someone I end up defining them by that trait that is bothering me at the time.  Now I am not  a person that reacts or tries to correct someones actions but there is no question that my treatment of some people shows a lack of tolerance on my part.

There is work that can be done on my part to make more of my relationships greater than they currently are in this moment.  Keeping Voltaire’s thoughts at the forefront of my personal interactions is one step in that direction.  If I am judging someone else’s actions, attitude or demeanor; I am in part making myself a moral authority which personally I can not claim.  I am imperfect and have my flaws just like the rest of the world and if they can tolerate me, who am I to ever be intolerant of them?

Affirmation: Today I will play my role in this world and allow the universe to be the judge on humanities imperfections.

Call To Action: Did a name, place or thing pop in to your head when you read todays topic?  If so you may have been harboring some similar feelings as I was.  Make it a point today to be present for the world around you and catch yourself when you are overcome with feelings of intolerance.  Remember if we were not all so unique this would not be nearly as beautiful of a world to live in.

Change Your Life Friday has been a blog for over 2 years, and it has been a term amongst friends for about two and a half years. However; I had my first CYLFriday event 6 years ago today. In happened on March 28th, 2008, which just happened to land on a Friday.

The night before I had run out of options to a problem in my life and felt hopeless. I was able to seek out a group of people who had an answer to my problem. My problem did not go away over night, it took some tough work and soul-searching, but I have not had to allow my problem to run my life anymore since that day.

My life has been nothing but a blessing over the last six years. It has not all been easy, and there have been plenty of times when I had to do things that I did NOT want to do, but did it anyways because I had seen other successful people do it. In the last 6 years I have been able to help family, graduate from college, pass on the solution to the problem that was given to me, and land a dream job.

There have been plenty of low spots during that same time period. Loss of relationships, death, hard times with family, and general fear just to name a few. I did not let these things distract me from the solution to my problem, or principles I continue to try and live by. It has not been perfect, and there is still a lot of growth ahead, but I am grateful for that specific Friday, and every other Friday that has added to my life.

Affirmation: This Friday is perfect just the way it is. I take my life as it is, and if there is change needed, I know that change is possible.

Call to Action: How has Change Your Life Friday motivated, and changed your life? If this is your first time visiting the site, where has a big change come in your life? Please share your story with the CYLF community in the comments section.