When does change occur?  … that’s easy, when we decide to change.  That very moment you decide to change something you are doing something different.

It’s the decision’s that you make that drive  your change.

Take a moment and think about this…  let’s say you want to quit smoking.  (Now, I know this is going to be a very emotional topic for some people but hear me out)

Think of the reasons you haven’t quit.

Here are the decisions you may have made:

You can’t

You don’t want to

You need to smoke, to calm down

You like to have a cigarette with your coffee

You like to have a smoke as you drive into work

No one is going to tell you, you can’t smoke

You enjoy smoking.

These are all your decisions.   You have decided to continue smoking for these reasons… HEY..  no one said making a decision would be easy… but what if… what if instead of picturing that nice relaxing quiet moment of smoking your cigarette… you picture something so emotionally gratifying that you are able to decide to change.

Something like…  being incredibly healthy and laying on the beach in your old age enjoying your retirement listening to the sea rolling in….

The future… the future is scary and a lot of people don’t like to think about it, because it’s scary and supposedly unknown.  I am here to tell you that your decisions shape your future.  The things that you decide to do right now, that may give you this easy short-term gratification… may not give you the lasting success that you need.

Back to quitting smoking.

Who are the people who succeed in quitting?  The people who decide to quit.  The people who, no amount of pharmaceuticals, or medication or meditation would have helped any more than the fact that they decided they were not going to smoke anymore.

I’m with you… I’m saying that the decision comes first… and while it seems like it’s the easiest part, it’s actually not.  A real decision is followed by action.  A real decision to change something is followed by massive effective action.

If you decide to quit smoking, you may have to stop drinking coffee… or having a beer after work… or hanging out with you friends that smoke… or make your home and care smoke free (to the chagrin of your spouse or loved ones that smoke) or Stop going to the local corner store…   You have to break more habits than the one of lighting up… You also have to break the social habits of shopping for smokes, talking to friends over smokes, relaxing with a cigarette…

Here’s the good news. You can do it.

You have the power, every moment of  the day to decide what you are going to pay attention to.

For that second, that moment that you think… “Wow, I’d love a cigarette right now”…  you may realize that the next moment will be … “Hey look, it’s getting lighter out, I think this summer I might start jogging again, since I probably won’t be wheezing”  and back to work.

You have to decide to rework your schedule… WITH ALL OF THE EXTRA TIME YOU WILL HAVE… Smoking is very time-consuming.  First of all, you have to go to a designated smoking area… then have the cigarette then return to your desk.  NOW… you still want that break right?  How about…  What about a nice walk to the furthest break room and grabbing a cup of tea or coffee… and long stroll back to your desk?

You decide.  You decide not to smoke in your house, you decide that TODAY, I’m not going to smoke and see how that goes.

Every day is a challenge, some are easier than others… my point is… it’s your decision.

Everything I’ve said can just as easily be applied to weight loss… getting a new job… relationships… CHANGE.

Here’s the rub.  If you don’t decide to make a change… that is your decision.  Get it?  Even if you feel like, I’m not going to worry about that now… then that… is your decision.  You have decided NOT to change.. or make a change.

WOW… this post seems a little like I’m beating you and myself up!  🙂

So, let me tell you a little bit about the power that you have…  You are amazing.   You hold it together and roll with the punches and get back up every day. That’s awesome. I think you deserve your hearts desire and I think that once you decide to go for it… You will be wildly successful.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  ~Albert Einstein

I guess the whole point of this post is… that.  If you are working 40 hours a week and day dreaming about earning more money… and you are applying to different jobs in your field and have been doing that for a few years now but haven’t run across the better opportunity… How long will you do that before your decide… A) You aren’t getting the results you desire and B) You need to change how you are going about reaching your goal.

Many times we use circumstances, situations, the economy and other people … as excuses.  We point to the fact that we have taken action and say, “See I’m trying, but…”.  If you are not getting the results that you desire, then change how you are trying to reach them.   It’s so much easier to “blame” something that we consider outside our control for why we haven’t succeeded… it’s takes the burden off our shoulders.

I’m saying, if you really want change… you have to make it.   If you are playing the blame game, you have decided that you don’t really want change.  Does that make sense?

You are awesome, you can do it!  If you are looking for a job… print out a ton of resumes and give them to all your friends and ask them to bring them to their office.  Make phone calls to speak to the HR or OFFICE MGR or Personnel dept.  DO something different.

Make today AMAZING!