Over the weekend, as my wife and I were making dinner (actually she was making dinner and I was doing whatever else she told me to do), she made a comment about how sad it is that so many people seem to living miserable lives and don’t appear to think that they have any power to change their situations.  I’m not sure what prompted her to make this comment, but it led us on to a great discussion about how our mindset on life seems to be different than many people.  When we encounter an obstacle in our lives, we find a way through, over or around it.

Our discussion led us to wonder why we’d ended up this way.  Why is it that we don’t see our circumstances as permanent and always feel like we have a say in our future?  The conclusion that we came to is that it is a little bit genetics and a lot of the people who you encounter along the way that shape your growth.  Ultimately, we were talking about a state of mind in which you take responsibility for your own circumstances.

{On a side note, I don’t often talk about my family.  They are an amazing gift that I’ve been given.  They renew me daily.  This time of year, I am extraordinarily grateful to have an amazing and inspiring wife and three great kids.  We had family pictures taken this fall and I share one of them with you here as my quasi Christmas card to you today.}

My Christmas Wish

This conversation with my wife was a reminder of why I do the work I do each day, to help others find the courage to unleash their talents on the world.  My Christmas wish for everyone this year is that you find the strength to look at your life and take responsibility for where you find yourself today.  I am sure that you did some great things this year (got promoted, lost weight, had a baby, etc.) give yourself credit for those amazing accomplishments.  You did them.  Maybe not alone, but without you they couldn’t have happened.  Celebrate how awesome you were.

Next, think about what’s not working in your life.  Maybe you are in a job that you don’t like or in a relationship that isn’t working.  You have to own the fact that you are in this situation because you choose to be.  It’s on you.  You accepted your job when it was offered to you.  And you accept it again every day when you show up to do it.  No one is doing anything to hold you down or keep you in a bad situation.  You decide each day to stay there.  Own it.

The magic in accepting responsibility for your life is that it automatically opens up amazing possibilities for the future.  If you accept the fact that you are where you are because of your own doing, that means that you also have the power to move on to something greater.  It is up to you.  We all hold the keys to our own destiny.  Being able to use those keys is a matter of courage.  By first accepting that your life is your own doing, you open up a doorway to amazing opportunity in the future.

I wish all of you a very happy holidays and a new year full of possibilities!