How to Change Your Life

Coffee is my morning drug.

It helps my brain to wake up.

I have a coffee machine in my office at work, and I usually make my coffee as soon as my foot crosses the door.

But lately, I’ve been lazy and have been stopping at the Dunkin’ Donuts down the street.

They know me.

Whenever they see me waiting in line, they know what I want, so by the time I get to the cashier, my coffee is waiting for me.

It’s nice.

That’s the power of being a regular customer who gets the same thing every time: large dark roast with cream, no sugar. (I put my own raw Turbinado sugar in later).

Anyhoo.

The other day when I was in there, an overweight woman was on line in front of me. I wasn’t paying attention to her, except when she left, I noticed she hadn’t come for coffee.

Instead, she walked out with a tall cup of Munchkins.

So, the first thing I thought was, “Mmm. Those Munchkins look yummy.”

But, after I gained my self-control, I thought to myself, “She’s not ready.”

I don’t know why I thought that, but that’s what I said to myself.

She was overweight. But because she had decided to eat Munchkins for breakfast, that indicated that she had not yet decided to be the best version of herself.

If she had, she would have made a healthier choice.

Maybe one day, she will.

And that’s the day she will reach her tipping point.

That’s the day she will decide she wants to live better.

She will reach a point when she’s fed up. Then she will change.

And that’s what happens to a lot of people. We don’t change, until something comes along and forces us to.

Then we change because we have to.

We change because we come face-to-face with one (or all) of the following 3 things: pain, fear, or disgust.

1. Pain

Almost nothing gets your undivided attention faster than pain. Pain can stop you in your tracks. Or bring you to your knees. And when that happens, all you want is to find the quickest fix possible. At that point, your mind, heart, and body are open to change. And if you want the pain to stop, you will.

2. Fear

Fear is scary. It doesn’t feel good. And if the thing you fear is real (and not irrational or self-created), then the best way to overcome fear is to decide if the thing that stands on the other side of the fear (the goal) has a stronger hold over you than the fear. If it does, then you will muster up the courage to move past the fear.

3. Disgust

If you continue to do things that get you nowhere, you will get sick of yourself. You’ll realize that if you keep doing the same old things, the same old way — — you’ll continue to get the same old results. And that’s not good.

But once you make up your mind to change your life, you will do what it takes. Regardless of setbacks, mishaps, obstacles, mistakes, distractions, or delays.

And that’s when your life will change . . . for the better.

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