A very wise and wonderful woman once told me that we become a reflection of our life experience. There are about 6.8 billion people in this world and they all have very different experiences. They all think though things differently, do things differently, and get the results that their behavior produces. Today more than ever we live in a very complex environment, technology breakthroughs, massive noise, complexities with factors and forces that interact, it’s chaos out there, the speed of information is overwhelming. The pressure to perform at work is harder today more than ever. What worked in the past may not work in the future because of the changing climate that we have.
The one thing that remains constant is that change will happen and continue to happen. So the need to learn, adapt and grow is more important today then ever before. So how do you approach this? How do you even start to make sense of this concept?
I know the way you think dramatically impacts what you do and your behavior. And your behavior typically produces the results in your life, right? The way you feel influences your thinking, which impacts what you do and, what you do gives you your results. If you feel positive or negative, based on your feelings, it can really impact things. A lot of people think they can’t necessarily change the way they think or what they do to get the results that they want.
But I am here to tell you that you can be the author of your own future. If you want small incremental change, focus on your behavior. But if you want big change, focus on your thinking. The purpose of this blog is to help you make lasting transformational change and unlock the passion in yourself to reach all your goals and dreams.
When you change yourself you change your future.
Please feel share with me you thoughts, insights and experiences on change.
Do you hear them? In the United States, 1.5 million children are homeless; more than 500,000 children are in foster care; more than 20,000 are aging out of the system every year (most the day they turn 18). Of those 20,000, fewer than 50% have attained their high school diplomas. Within a few months of aging out, many wind up homeless, and more than 70% of the people in our prisons spent time in foster care.
As a child and as a teen, I experienced all kinds of abuse and grew up in poverty. I could barely read and was in special education classes until eighth grade when a teacher discovered that I just needed glasses. When my mother had a mental breakdown and abandoned me at age 15, it forced me to find resources and mentors who helped me bridge the gap between where I was and where I dreamed of going.
Asking for help from the right folks propelled me along my journey. If we each reach out to help just one child – and I was once that one child –become self reliant, we can eradicate this problem. The kids need you. They need me. Be that ONE to change and spark radical change all around you!
In his bestselling book The Blind Side, Michael Lewis does a masterful job of telling the unlikely but true story of Michael Oher, an African American homeless teen who got adopted by a wealthy white family in Memphis. He subsequently played football for Ole Miss and ended up getting drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. Now Michael Oher’s remarkable story is one of the top grossing movies in the U.S. (Sandra Bullock deserves an Oscar for her role.)
I was thrilled that a film with this message – how we can change someone’s fate by caring and offering our hearts – has captured the attention of so many. In a very real sense, Sam was saved by the many caring mentors and families who reached out to him when he became homeless at 15. I hope our book will help shine a light on the fact that there are kids all around us who need help.
Over the holiday break, a friend of my teenage son spent a lot of time at our house. No one called to check on him or whom he was staying with. He reminded me of Sam. He’s 6 ft. 5 in. tall, plays football, but he’s still a kid. When I noticed that he was carrying a lot of his belongings in a garbage bag, I started asking questions.
Like Michael Oher, my son’s friend and Sam, kids who need your help are likely right in front of you. They just need you to open your eyes and your heart.
