A Chance but Revealing Meeting
Last week, Trent (not real Name) called me. A productive call it was for him. After the pleasantries, he dove right in.
'Deba, I left the house to come to church to have a quiet time. I usually come here when my heart is heavy or when I want to just gain some clarity. I come to pray and just communicate with my Maker, you see.'
He then talked about the daily struggles he faces to make ends meet. With two kids and a wife, it was sometimes hard. Clients delay payments or don't show up at all, etc.
'I need to diversify. I need to better my earning capacity. I need more, D.'
Then he proceeded to drop the clincher: 'what do you advice I focus on from today in getting a better deal for my life? Some things I can commit to, to change my finances?'
I listened intently, remembering he is not starting from scratch (he has an online platform where he communicates and connects with youths in all walks, teaching them how to navigate the relationship web).
Building Commitments, Changing Life.
Here's the thing, changing anything takes guts, frictions and subtle changes and pushes. It takes YOU committing to some form of routine or acts. These will become habits and that's where the new (or maybe true) you emerges.
Too many times, we get frustrated with reality. But reality is fleeting; it is really what we make of it.
I told Trent to keep his better life in sight. (Here is where a vision board will come handy for some). I asked him to never fail to dream about his coming tomorrow regardless of how bad it may seem today. His needs to be fed with the right type of imageries to engender a new him.
I told him that while there are no one-size-fits-all way to a better life (even a better life means different things to different people), there are some habits and commitments that keep you grounded in a frustrating life.
I asked him to make some commitments with me, where he is held accountable for his next life to make some commitments. These HAS to become his ground zero: the basest things he does, will do and continue to do. These commitments will forge his habits, straighten his perception of things, expand his productivity and ultimately help him create his ideal life.
If you are in kind of fix. You know you are worth more, deserve more, but just can't seem to shake out of your current situation, then these commitments are yours as well.
I listed them below: