Do you make change happen or does change happen to you?

If you’re alive (and if you’re reading this you hopefully are), then you’ve experienced some sort of hardship or struggle in your life. You may even be going through one right now.

The question is, what did you do about it? What are you going to do about it? Did you take control of the situation?

The sad thing is that many people let life happen to them. Even when they feel like they are doing all they can do, they leave several other options on the table.

If that’s you, it’s not your fault. We’ve been taught not to challenge the things as they are. We’re told that we just need to keep trying or try harder.

  • Work harder at your job and the promotion will come.
  • Just pay those student loan or car payments because everyone has them.
  • Keep filling out online applications and eventually you’ll get the right job.

The reason we’re told these things is because it’s easy to accept that doing what you already know how to do is the best route. (If I told you that you could lose weight eating what you love, wouldn’t you think about giving it a try?)

Pushing against a brick wall will only give you a sore shoulder. Try leaning against it, get some rest, and then push off of it in a different direction. If you feel tired and discouraged, then it’s time to try something differently.

I want to urge you do something different each day for about a month. Some examples include,

  • Read a book that might help you in your situation. (If you don’t know of any, check out the Resources page or email me and I’ll see what I can find.)
  • Pay extra on your student loan or car.
  • Join a community or group that has the same interests as you or includes people who are pushing against the same brick wall.

Feel free to post in the comments what you’re going to do differently and then report back in month on your progress.

What your desktop background says to your coworkers

In the land of cubicle dwellers, everyone has at least one window to the outside world – the desktop background. It can tell a lot about you to those around you.

For example, solid color backgrounds show you don’t care to open your window. You’d work in a basement if you could, most likely without anyone around you.

If you’re sporting that beautiful beach scene, it’s pretty obvious where you’d rather be. You’re either thinking about an upcoming vacation, a vacation you’ve been on, or one you wish you could take. If you could work on the beach, then your dream would be complete.

Sci-fi and action heroes means you’ll probably be late to work the day after the next Marvel movie comes out.

Cats and dogs – animal lover, possibly single

Kids – family man/woman (who is possibly trying to remember why you drag yourself into work each day)

Random pictures – you just don’t want to be staring at the same thing all the time, it takes your mind off of what you’re doing

The next time you consider “personalizing” your desktop, consider what you might be conveying to the people around you, and then change it anyway!

Movie store

Our kids will never know what it’s like to go to the video store to get a movie to watch.