It’s Never Too Late To Change Your Life
Image courtesy of littledan77
Let me introduce you to Bob. Bob is a thirty something guy with a loving wife, two kids and a 9 to 5 job that keeps him busy and slightly stressed most of the time. He lives in a fairly nice, modern home, in a nice, comfortable neighborhood. With two cars in the garage (along with a hefty car payment), a mortgage that snuck its way into his life, and a load of bad buying habits eating up the little bit of savings they have, Bob is not exactly at peace with his situation. To put it more bluntly, Bob sometimes daydreams about running away to a deserted island where he can hide from all the amassed pressure and responsibility he’s brought upon himself and his family. Let’s just say that Bob’s a little stressed.
But it wasn’t always this way…
Let’s go back in time to when Bob was just out of high school and ready to conquer the world. This was a time in Bob’s life that the debt had not yet had a chance to pile up and the only one he had to take care of was himself. He had little stress and a lot of passion behind his dreams of having an amazing career and an even more amazing family to share it with. Bob was in a place I like to call ‘Pre-Paralysis’. A place where he had yet to become paralyzed by the pressures of day-to-day life. A time when the weight on his shoulders had barley even made itself noticeable. Bob was free and his enthusiasm, unstoppable. Or so he thought.
When Bob met Jane
Bob was blessed with an amazing girlfriend, Jane. They met at their post high school job at the local grocer and fell in love faster than they could learn how to work the register. There was no doubt in their minds that they were meant for each other, each one completing the missing half of the other. Though they knew marriage was not an easy road, they had no doubt it was the necessary next step. Both Bob and Jane loved children so talk of kids was an exciting regular conversation. Bob just knew his life was going to be even more amazing than he had imagined. The thought of taking on the challenges of life, side-by-side with the woman he loved, was enough to give him goosebumps.
As the wedding came closer, Bob and Jane frantically looked for an apartment that they could afford. They settled on a place that was small, but sufficient. As they stood there in the empty one roomer, their imaginations began to run wild with thoughts of what it will be like to live on their own as a couple, with no one to stop them from pursuing their passionate dreams. Bob squeezed Jane’s hand to confirm their connection as they silently envisioned their future.
Making bad decisions, one day at a time.
One of the fist things Bob did after the wedding was buy a new car. They had needed to take that next step sooner or later, but Jane had questioned the need to buy new. Blinded by the excitement of a shiny new toy, Bob convinced himself that this was a need and therefore not possibly a mistake. A month later, when Bob was writing a check for that first car payment, he felt this unfamiliar pressure on his shoulders. Not knowing what it was, he disregarded it and quickly forgot about its existence.
Now it was Jane’s turn. Love of knick knacks, Jane was not a big item buyer. As excited as Bob had been when he purchased that new car, Jane could equal that enthusiasm when she’d sign up for her next magazine subscription. But being a person who greatly enjoyed those small purchases, Jane made many of them. She’d sign up for this, and send away for that. Rarely did Jane make it home from her weekend trip to the mall without bags in both hands.
IT’S A GIRL!!!
Taking that natural next step, Bob and Jane had a beautiful little baby girl. So excited and happier than ever, they both spread the news as if it were the cure for cancer. Bob never thought he could feel a joy greater than what he felt when he met Jane, but holding his little blessing in his arms for the very first time sent a sensation through his body like he had never felt before. This was his daughter, his child. Bob looked over at Jane and they shared a short silence, communicating a new kind of connection. They were no longer just a husband and wife, but a mother and father to this beautiful little blessing.
The Daily Grind
Let’s fast forward a few years. Bob’s been working as a sales rep for the local yellow pages. Great at what he does, Bob made a good living off his commission. The problem was that he had to put in 60 to 80 hours a week to do so and the work was anything but congruent with his original pre-paralysis dreams for success. When he’d come home in the evenings, Jane would be exhausted from taking care of their, now, 2 kids as well as making sure dinner was waiting for Bob at the end of his long day. Their enthusiastic relationship had been diluted by this daily grind and their passion as parents was lacking, to say the least.
The weekends were barely any better. Bob sat in his office all Saturday morning, writing check after check to cover all their monthly bills. Not quite sure how they had amassed such a stack of financial responsibility, Bob just turned on his auto pilot and got the job done. Oh, and remember when I mentioned that first sensation of shoulder weight? Well, Bob now had a whole pile of bricks to deal with. It felt like he was wearing a backpack full of concrete, ALL THE TIME! And let’s just say that Jane was right their with him, bearing the brunt of this misguided mass. Whether dealing with her own stresses or feeling Bob’s financial frustration, she could barely tend to her own needs, let alone those of her children.
Somethings got to give!
One day, while working in the yard, Bob felt a crippling pain in stomach. At first he tried to ignore it, but soon it was evident that this was serious. So he went inside and asked Jane to take him to the hospital. Jane was worried about her husband as they drove to the ER. Not sure what was wrong, they both sat in the waiting room as Bob silently screamed in agony.
They finally were able to see a doctor who proceeded to run some tests. Fairly quickly it had become evident that the problem was a large ulcer in Bob’s stomach. The doctor prescribed some medicine, but had to ask, “Have you been under any stress lately?” Bob laughed, as if he thought the doctor was joking. “Stress? Of course, isn’t everyone?” The doctor then continued the slightly uncomfortable conversation by agreeing that we all deal with stress in life, but that the level of stress Bob was living with was literally eating away at his insides. Basically, Bob was bearing too high a dose of dysfunctional lifestyle. If he continued in this way, this agonizing ulcer will seem like a slight stomach ache compared to the heart attack that awaits.
On the ride home from the hospital Bob and Jane talked about making some changes. Both completely agreed that they made a wrong turn somewhere early on and that for their own health and happiness they needed to find their way back to sanity.
“What happened?” Bob asked in the tone of a statement. “I mean, how did we get here in the first place?”
“All I know is that we went from white to black with so many shades of gray that we never realized the tone of our life had changed.” Jane responded as she turned the wheel to re-enter their driveway.
Before the car had come to a complete stop in their garage, Bob made a clear declaration, “We’re getting off this ride!”
Jane smiled.
That night, Bob and Jane slept better than they had in years. Both at peace with their agreement for drastic change, they felt the shoulder weight lighten, even if only for a moment.
Undoing The Damage
The next morning was a beautiful sunny Sunday. Off from work and well rested, it felt like the day had been hand made for the very purpose of planning their new lives. Jane made some hot tea and they sat at the dining room table, ready to collaborate on their massive undertaking. Only armed with a pad of paper and a pen in hand, Bob was ready to get to the bottom of their unexpectedly stressful existence.
This is what they came up with:
Practical
- Bills. Go through every penny that you pay in bills and separate the wheat from the chaff. Determine what bills are going toward necessary items/services and which ones are not. Then cut out EVERY bill that you don’t absolutely have to have. Are you subscribing to convenience on a monthly basis? Well, decide if that convenience is worth the extra shoulder weight you bare when paying the tab. ALSO, the bills that are tagged as necessary, be sure they are absolutely necessary and then see if you can’t reduce their cost in any way possible.
- Non-bill payments. Now it’s time to look back over the last couple of months. Where have you spent your money? Do you buy expensive coffee, a magazine now and again or are you going out to eat because you just don’t feel like cooking dinner? While trying to undo the insanity of debt and overspending, it’s crucial to completely cut the fat and stop the leak all together. There’s nothing more frustrating then bailing out a sinking ship without first plugging the hole.
- Debt. One of the biggest culprits in our stressed out lifestyles is the big D word. Starting out as a common inability to wait, debt is the love child of impatience and discontentment. The best thing you can do with your debt is pay it off as soon as you can. Get that weight off your shoulders TODAY and you’ll have more energy to take on the world tomorrow.
- Sleep. Without a consistent regimen of sound sleep we are crippled by low energy and lack of enthusiasm. Sleep not only restores our physical strength, but our confidence and clarity of thought. So if you’re not getting the sleep you require, get to the bottom of the issue. Be sure your diet and activity level are consistent with good health. Analyze your thought process before bed and make sure it’s not filled with stress and stimulation. And check out your routine to determine the level of consistency in your sleep patterns. Out of all the physical things you can do for yourself, your health and your happiness, a good nights rest should be at the top of your list.
- Free time. How we spend our free time can greatly affect how we feel the rest of the time. We may not have complete control over what we do when we’re at work, but our free time is a time where we are free to do what we want. If you feel you’re wasting ANY of that time, you will gain shoulder weight just out of feelings of regret. Our time is precious and we can’t afford to waste even an OUNCE of it. Fill it with fulfilling activity and you will be much more likely to make the most of every other second that comes your way.
Emotional and Psychological
- Relationships. Any relationship we have plays a role in our sanity. Certainly some more than others, but even the way we treat a person behind the counter at the grocery store has an effect on how we feel about ourselves and our life. I recently gave a customer support person a hard time because of a misunderstanding of something petty and I was left feeling less than peaceful. This guy was just trying to help and because he didn’t have the information I impatiantly wanted, I kind of snapped at him. A few days later I noticed that every time I worked with the issue I was trying to resolve, I felt a bit of anxiety. I quickly realized that this bad feeling stemmed from this earlier situation and so I sent this guy an email apologizing for being a jerk. It may sound like a little thing, but without reconciling even the slightest wrong doing toward another, we are prone to a negativity that will do nothing but eat away at our peace of mind. And if this one little incidence was that important, how much more important is it that we take care of those who support us on a daily basis.
- Addictions. Whether we know it or not, we ALL have additions. Some are more obvious than others and they all have differing levels of damage, but the common thread is that we are trying to fill a void in our lives, whether big or small. Sometimes it’s just out of a lack of stimulation, while other times it stems from the need to dull a pain inside us. Some of us have troubling childhood thoughts that bring on bouts of abusive behavior, while others of us may just have a thing for shopping and take it a little too far (as Jane exhibited earlier). But to deal with these addictions we have to deal with the source of their existence. You can’t tell someone with anorexia to JUST EAT! Their lack of ingestion comes not from a fear of food or their need to control weight, but from some pain in their lives that probably goes way back to a forgotten time. We need to unravel the mess of memories and expanse of experiences so we can figure out why we do X, Y, or Z. Once we work through these issues, we can be free to wisely pursue a different path. But until then, we’ll be fighting a losing battle.
- The Joneses. An idea that has been beaten to death, I will not kick it while its down, but I will just say that when it comes to other people’s ‘things’, just remember that they are no happier because of them. No object has ever proven to create happiness in an individual and no object ever will.
- Past mistakes. Often times we don’t realize that it is our past failings that are keeping us from succeeding in the future. Whether we’ve lost our confidence or feel discouraged because things didn’t go the way we’d hoped, we need to address those things that are always nagging us with negative notions of our ability to reach our goals. Leave these unchecked and we are doomed to repeat our past.
- Insecurities. With red hair and freckles and the fact that I look about a decade younger than I actually am, I got a lot of flack as a kid. Constantly being singled out by the current bully of the month, I found myself being beaten down with constant negativity. Once or twice and you can blow it off as the exception to the rule, but after many times of abuse, you can’t help but believe it as gospel. We all carry the weight of insecurity and none of us are spared the inconvenience of a poor decision or two because of it, but we must make sure our lives are not being torn down as a result. Take some time and look back on your childhood. Figure out where the negativity came from and how you learned to cope. We can learn a lot about our bad habits by analyzing our past and we can also find the key to fixing the problem.
Where are Bob and Jane today?
Still paying down the debt of their past, Bob and Jane are fighting for a more positive future. Bob is still working long hours, but now with the motivation of digging themselves out of their financial mess. Jane has not only stopped spending money on things they don’t need, but is dong everything she can to save on those things they do. And when Bob gets home from work he not only enjoys time with his family, but has started setting aside time to train for a new position. He’s seeking out a role that will allow him to work less time, while still making the money they need to make ends meet and save for the future. Both Bob and Jane are now learning from experience that one positive action leads to more of the same. Each step forward strengthens their stride and reinforces their foundation.
It’s not our location, but our heading that matters most.
People often talk about where they are in life, but I find that it’s where we’re going that is most important. Time is a relentless taskmaster who never listens to reason and just because we’ve made it to a positive plateau doesn’t mean that tomorrow won’t be filled with a barrage of backsliding. Even more importantly, for those who find themselves in a pit of despair, everything feeling like a failure, I encourage you to focus on your direction, not your current place on the map.
That’s what’s so great about life! We can make our own choices and choose to live the life of greatest fulfillment, for us and those we come in contact with. We ALL make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences, but that doesn’t mean we can’t, AT ANY TIME, decide to take hold of the reigns and steer ourselves toward a more positive future. Stop focusing on the mistakes you’ve made and start planning for the future you’ve always imagined. Stop listening to the voice that says that you can’t and start chanting the battle cry for a better future. Stop reacting to life and start challenging yourself to push for greater forward progress. You can’t undo the past, but the present and the future, they are shapeless objects, waiting for your hands to mold them into the life of your choosing.
Eric
58 Responses to “It’s Never Too Late To Change Your Life”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
Leave A Comment...
My Social Profiles
-
-
Wow. Truly amazing post. Thanks for sharing this. I’m struggling with a similar situation…too much stress is causing me too much emotional and now physical discomfort. Reading this has been really inspiring.
Stephanie Malone’s last blog post..No Signs of Intelligent Life
Awesome! I love when I can share something that others can relate to.
I hear ya about the stress causing pain. And you know, it’s just NOT worth it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Eric
Great article, but ulcers are caused by helicobacter pylori bacteria, not stress
You have a way with words “debt is the love child…” how do you come up with this stuff? And then about “no object creating happiness” again well said. You put a twist on what we’ve heard before, therefore we gain new insights. Well done!
Tess The Bold Life’s last blog post..Magic Monday: Jonathan Mead, Reclaim Your Dreams
Thanks, Tess, I have NO IDEA where I come up with this stuff!
Yeah, we’ve hear it ALL at one time or another, but it’s our perspectives that allow us to pick new nuggets of insight from the words.
“Nuggets of insight”…there I go again…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Tess. Eric
Very nice post. The story of Bob and Jane makes me feel the urgency of change. The way you tell it brings to light the essential points to start a new way of life.
I’m so glad the story line helped drive home the rest of the content. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Eric.
Great post full of lots of great advice. My husband and I have found ourselves in the same situation- stressed about too many bills. It was Blair Singer’s book, “Little Voice Mastery” that made me see the light- much like your ulcer. This book has taught me that it all starts and ends with me- I needed to implement a budget! I know I knew this all ready, I just didn’t know how to utilize this knowledge till after reading Blair’s amazing book. If you are interested, the author is offering a download of a free chapter in pdf or mp3 on his home page http://www.littlevoicemastery.com .
Thanks, Becky, for sharing that great advice and information on the book. I’ll have to go check it out. Eric
Great article, Eric. It’s amazing how all the little decisions, that don’t even feel like decisions, can take us to a totally different place to where we would want to be. I encourage people to make changes to their life in the same way. Often the reason why we don’t make positive changes is that we get caught in personal development hype and we set big goals that feel like hard work and a huge commitment. You can develop the same sort of momentum and change your life for the better by making small little decisions and tiny adjustments until you “wake up” a few years later and go “wow, how did I manage to create such an awesome life for myself?!”
CathD’s last blog post..Future Directions: Who Decides?
That’s a really great point, Cath! It certainly IS the little steps in life that make the difference in the long run. Eric
What an amazing message! I shall send it to all I know who are just starting out
Although this type of rut… we can slowly sink into has not happened to me personally with say “money” I can relate to it on the “working” side (overworking and underplaying) Which I am no longer a prisoner of
You have done an absolutely wonderful job of this post!!
Thanks for inspriring everyone! And letting them know you can always move ahead. It’s all about CHOICE
Thanks, Lynn, for sharing your thoughts and encouraging me in the process! Sounds like you’ve got a good idea of where you doing well and what things may need a bit of work. It’s ALL about the direction you’re headed. Eric
Eric,
What a complete post. Nice work. I think what rings true here is that it’s not just the one or two BIG stresses that can overwhelm – it’s often the additive nature of all of the little stresses that put us over the top. We all have debt, family issues, work stress, and sometimes health issues, but its the combination of these that can create havoc in our lives.
I’ve heard of this premise referred to as “The Bucket Theory”. I discuss it an article I have written for our site (but just haven’t posted it yet).
Essentially, our tolerance for stress is represented by the size of bucket. Some of us have a higher tolerance, and hence, a larger bucket. The contents of our buckets are the various stresses that we encounter on a daily basis – again, some of us have more stresses than others. When the time comes that the contents of the bucket begins to overflow the capacity of our bucket, things turn sour. For example, we may feel fatigue, depression, ulcers, etc. Again, we are all different and the “overflow” is experienced uniquely by each of us. The goal is to find ways to increase the size of our bucket (tolerance), while at the same time, decreasing its contents (stressors), not an easy task!
Thanks again!
Jake | Revive Your Life’s last blog post..Explore New Job Opportunities While Keeping Your Current Job
Exactly! And it’s those little distractions/stresses that keeps us from effectively taking care of the BIG two. Excellent point! Eric
Hi Eric,
You had described a typical family that was caught in the rat race by taking the wrong steps. What you had depicted may really be happening to someone in the world and they definitely need to take the steps to tweak things in their life to ensure that they are heading in the destination they want to be at. This is a meaty post and it’s all great stuff. I will do a retweet for you.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Vincent’s last blog post..What If You Can Live Your Life Over Again?
Thanks, Vincent! I always appreciate your insight, encouragement and support. Eric
Just fantastic, Eric! This one’s a keeper for sure. I think you’ve written the modern American story. A LOT of couples in this country today can relate to this exact same story. It’s important if you want to change your future to do everything you can to stop running around the track, and no, it isn’t easy, but yes, it’s totally worth it.
Ulcers can be exacerbated by stress.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..The End of the Rainbow
‘…the modern American story.’ I think you’re right!
Yep, it’s like we’re running on a treadmill, enduring the stress of running, while never actually moving forward. Thanks for adding your thoughts, Sean. Eric
Great article! Very inspriring and I particularly like the part at the end about it being about where you are heading not where you are right now. I remember being in nice places in the past but heading nowhere good, very true words.
Lola
Lola Fayemi / Nourishment ……’s last blog post..Book review: The Garden of the Soul
Hey Lola, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Sounds like we’re on the same page about moving in a positive direction. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re moving backward in life. Eric
I can tell you, from my experience, that it is totally true. Everybody CAN change his life if: he wants to, he know how to and he have social support (friends and professionals). Until I reached 20 years, I lived a life of pure and naive unconsciousness (something like the middle age in the history of thinking). Fortunately, I met someone who was like a “resource man” for me. From him I learned that reading and self education are at the same time a must and a joy.
Conn’s last blog post..How to Have a Positive Attitude
Thanks, Conn, for sharing. It sounds like you’ve been there and done that already. Good for you! It always helps to hear success stories. Eric
Great post, Eric – kudos to the red haired freckled kid!
Thanks, Janice!
Eric
Excellent post Eric. This totally resonates with me, and for a while I thought you were talking about me! Like Writer Dad says, this is most every American couple, especially in these times.
“It’s not our location, but our heading that matters most” ~ Eric Hamm
Very well said!
z
Thanks, z, I’m really glad you enjoyed it and that you connected with the content. Eric
What is our life? It’s relationships, habits and actions. And we can always change what we don’t like, can’t we?
The difficult part is making that first step and saying to yourself: “I’m gonna do something about that.” Even reading your great blog could be that first step – making the decision. Second comes taking action. And third is change – enjoying the results. The three magic steps to self-improvement
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Dimitar! Thanks for sharing, Eric.
That picture just cracks me up.
Great article too.
Marc and Angel Hack Life’s last blog post..What is the Value of an Hour?
Thanks and Thanks!
Eric
That is the story most people are living. At least Bob and Jane are making changes!
Claudia’s last blog post..Sell Yourself with Video
Very true on both counts! Eric
Bob wears the same glasses as I do lol. I like the article really, maybe it’s just a bit too long for me. Anyway, it’s good. ;]
IvánPérez’s last blog post..Minimalistic Fast Learning #1: Uncluttering Information
Ha Ha, I can say the same for myself.
I hear ya on the length issue. I think it depends on the person, but many bloggers like short and sweet. This was by far my longest post ever at over 3,000 words, but I felt it too that much content to fully develop and drive home my point. But I was fully aware that I may turn off a few readers with the length.
Thanks for hanging in there anyway! I’ll be sure to mix it up. I don’t plan on making every post this long. Eric
The story in your post is true-to-life. Although my experience is not like the story, I can see that it is a typical one. Yes, there is every hope to make life better from now on.
Evelyn Lim’s last blog post..5 Wealth Affirmations From Famous Authors
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Evelyn. Eric
“debt is the love child of impatience and discontentment”
by far, the best quote I have seen yet. Mind if I steal it?
In any case, this is an amazing post. And a long one! It got me thinking a lot. I am glad you took the time to write it!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Jeremy Day’s last blog post..How much is your overall health worth?
Thanks, Jeremy! Coming from a great writer, that means a lot. Eric
Eric, I am really digging your blog. I like that it’s not just all tech stuff, since you run a web company.
Thanks, man. I guess I’m a multi-faceted geek.
Eric
Woof, I am LATE to this party. Eric, this article is PHENOMENAL; engaging and real. I love the layout, love the story, and love love love the bullet points at the end. Just awesome.
Hayden Tompkins’s last blog post..MIA on April Fools’ Day
Wow, thanks Hayden! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Eric
That photo at the top of your post … its like looking in a mirror. Terrifying!
I hear ya. Sometimes life can really beat us down. It’s when we see that face looking back at us that we know somethings got to change. WE’VE got to change. Eric
Wow. Great post. It’s very sad in the beginning, yet very inspiring towards the end. Guess I should probably start taking some steps to prevent ulcers, before I’m laying on the hospital floor somewhere crying.
Michael Hoppal’s last blog post..The “Why” Behind Networking
Thanks! Yeah, preventing our own mistakes is much easier than recovering from them, but either way is better than being defeated by them. Eric
I was too depressed to read this article.
Awesome post. I believe that every smallest details count when it comes to achieving goals of your life. An “Everything Counts!” mindset is today’s total quality initiative for a productive and satisfying personal life, family life, and business life. – Sam
Everything Counts’s last blog post..What Are You Thinking About?
This is such a basic concept, but so many people feel defeated at a relatively young age. As long as you’re breathing, it’s not too late.
@ Jay: SOME ulcers are caused by helicobacter, and stress DOES contribute significantly to ulcers. And thats not really the point of the article, is it?
Thanks for the great post, Eric. I recently sat down and spoke with my partner of 7 years and had “the talk” to make sure we don’t end up like Bob and Jane. I’m only 24 and have a huge mortgage, but no other payments (eg new cars, cable etc) to suck our finances dry. Its amazing how expensive commitments “creep up” before we even realise. Its about being conscious of the way we live and the way we spend. Thanks for the thought-provoking article!
curiousjessica’s last blog post..What I’m grateful for.
You do learn something new everyday. To take a little longer to write comments for one thing. Sorry, I should have stressed the point that the article really struck a chord with me and I will be sure to share it with a few people. I already like to live as light as possible, but your approach expresses the philosophy really well. As Jessica said, stress may contribute and in any case that weight you talk about is definitely enough reason to heed the advice.
By the way, sorry for the entirely bold comment. The idea was that only the first paragraph is bold. I’ll be thankful if you take some time to correct that.
Have you thought of installing a WordPress plugin that lets visitors edit their comments for a limited time? That would really be useful in case of mistakes
Thanks!
Your quick reaction was impressive
Dimitar Nikolov’s last blog post..Doing What Must Be Done
@Jay: You learn something new everyday.
@Jessica: I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Yeah, my wife, Liz, and I have a sit down, as you stated, a few times a year and try to keep ourselves in check. It’s so easy to get carried away with our spending and it’s just not worth the extra stress and pressure. Eric
@Jay: I appreciate the elaboration. I’m glad I struck a cord and that you’re already living light, as you put it.
Eric
@Dimitar: No problem. I fixed your comment and added the plugin so you should now be able to edit your comments for a short time after placing them.
You weren’t the first to mention this plugin (Janice also mentioned it) and we use it on Blogopolis Blueprint, so I don’t know why I waited so long, but now it’s here. Thanks for pushing me to implement it. Eric