Change is Choice

"We have the ability to change our minds at any given moment.  Why would it be any different to change our lives?" ~ Jason Huntsinger

It seems to me that in life we set out on this path and somewhere along the line we make a choice that takes us in a different direction.  This isn't always bad, and in fact it can be an absolutely wonderful thing.  Adapting to changing situations is a admirable trait that will add to a more joyful life.  But sometimes a choice leads us off in the wrong direction.  We may not know it at the time but we start to build momentum in this direction.  Gravity takes over.  We begin to make choices that compound on one another and build more momentum, making it seem almost impossible to stop.  One choice after another.

It's true in all aspects of life and business.  Think about it for a second.  This is how people start smoking, gain weight, do drugs, lie, cheat or even cut corners.  The first choice is the hardest because it is outside our normal behavior but the subsequent choices become easier because we build momentum.  Until we choose to change paths we only get farther and farther from the life we truly want.

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." ~ George Eliot

We make choices all day, every day.  We can change our minds about any of those choices, too.  I want to this instead.  I want that for dinner.  My quote at the top of the page asks a simple question - why would it be any different to change our lives?  It's not!  Our current position is merely the culmination of our choices to this point...nothing more.  There is nothing preventing us from making a different choice right now to get the on the life track we want to be on.  Sure it might take some effort because it requires change.  It requires jumping off the path of least resistance with confidence so we can hold our heads up and see the right path.

Are you in the shape you want to be in?  Are you in the line of work you really want?  Do you eat healthy?  Are you known for being kind and helpful?  There are so many choices to make every single day, but it is never too late to make that first one today.

Think back to the choice that set you on this path and now look back at the second paragraph for a moment.  Just like when we started heading down this path in life, the first choice was the hardest because it was outside our normal behavior.  Change is choice.  The choice we need to make to get back on track is the hardest.  Beyond that first choice we will begin to build momentum in a new direction.  We'll define new goals and find a new routine to meet those goals.  One choice leads to two and they compound.

It truly is never too late to be who you want, do what you want, or become what you want.  This is no ones life but your own.  

Finding Action in Passivity

I'm a little intrigued by the idea of action versus passivity.  Even the word--passivity--seems so pliable to me.  In my mind it conjures up images of a leaf fluttering through the air, slave to a gentle breeze without control of where it may land.  I have long thought of the idea of passivity as synonymous with being void of any driving motivation.  A state in which someone simply succumbs to any pressure or influence.  A state in which some one's very existence is decided by someone or something else.  Yes, I've had pretty harsh thoughts about it.

As such, I've felt conflicted between the life concepts of taking action and going with the flow.  In a previous post I wrote about this and the locus of control.  Perhaps I tend to think in terms of all or nothing.  I'm here to admit there is a flaw in my thought process and the two need not be mutually exclusive.  Action can, and does, exist in passivity.  I've heard two comments recently that precipitate this entry...

"I hope to enjoy what's left of my life."

"I'm just trying to get through the day." 

Both of these statements initially struck me as sad.  They seemed to explain a sadness and loss of control.  I pictured the people who said these as simply lost and unsure whether they had a say in where their lives were headed.  Passivity.  But, action can, and does, exist in passivity.

Passivity is "being the subject of action rather than causing action" (Dictionary.com).  Think of it like this.  A stone that becomes swept up in a stream's current has no say in the direction it moves, but it becomes active in movement rolling and bashing into everything in its way.  A rolling stone gathers no moss.  Action.  A flag that flies in the wind has no say in the direction is flies, but it stands proudly at attention and flaps violently.  Flags are designed to display their significance when in full flight.  Action.

Your life, your surroundings, your situation or the people around you may have some say in the direction you travel, which may cause you to feel passive, but they have no control over the deliberateness of your movement in that direction.

"Things turn our best for those who make the best of the way things turn out." ~ John Wooden  

Passivity merely describes your resistance to the influence and not your ability to take control of the opportunity for excellence before you.  We may not all have the exact same opportunity for greatness but greatness is completely subjective.  Absolutely nothing prevents us from taking action to be great in whatever we choose to do along this path in life.  Be the rock in the river, roll with intent and smash into your obstacles.  Be the flag in the wind, fly proud and flap harder and faster than any other.  Be you, live with intent and pride, and be the absolute best you possible.

Action.  Passivity.  Opportunities.  Choices.  Life is a wonderful mix of them all.

Branding of a Personal Kind

"The intentions of your entire life may become overshadowed by your actions in the next 5 minutes." ~ Jason Huntsinger

I'm becoming more and more interested in the concept of personal branding.  Perhaps it's a sign of the times that we need to develop and manage our brand because we live our lives online.  The ease in which we document our daily activities creates a trail of digital permanency, good or bad, that may never go away.

Think about that quote above for a moment and ponder this: If you don't create a brand to tell your story then who will?  Why take a passive role in this process?

There are two key issues in developing and maintaining your personal brand.  First, is that the brand or image you're creating must be legitimate.  Certainly there is room for interpretation here, but you cannot create an online image of something you're not.  This invalidates your word and brand immediately.  When I say there is room for interpretation I mean we all have our own perceptions of the situations and circumstances in our lives.  The old adage "don't judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes."  You are the only one who knows the true and intimate details of your motivations and intentions.  Hence the need to tell your own story rather than let someone else do it.

The second key issue is consistency.  One of the reasons to brand or re-brand yourself is to tell the story of you.  That story is not defined by a single act yet that one act may step to the front of the stage in the brightest spotlight.  Once you draw attention to the entire story of YOU it becomes vitally important to be consistent in that story.  This takes being smart.  You can't purport to be one type of person and then act in a manner contrary to this.  The intentions of your entire life may become overshadowed by your actions in the next 5 minutes.  That warning is always there and never lets up.  And that's true of the life you live online or offline.  This also goes back to the legitimacy of the brand you're creating.  If it is a facade it will become apparent with your actions.  You can't keep living a lie nor can you build a foundation based on lies.

Here is the good news... It is never too late to begin this process.  Sure, it might be a steeper climb to get out of the hole you've dug, but, "it is never too late to be what you might have been" (George Eliot).  I love that quote.  Life is fluid and ever-changing.  If you can accept responsibility for your past choices and accept yourself for the potential you truly possess, it truly is never too late to create your brand and tell your story, write your story and design the life of your dreams.