If you have been following my journey, you know that I have stepped out of my comfort zone several times in the last few months. I made the decision to follow where God leads me, taking it one day at a time, and not worry where things end up. Well, not much anyway. When I started, I truly had no idea where this was headed, but knew that public speaking would be a great way to get exposure for my new coaching business.
I was excited when I got a few opportunities right away to talk about dressing professionally and dealing with stress in the workplace. After all, my goal is to help people be their best. Little did I know that the next opportunity would be to talk to an auditorium of high school students encouraging them to make better choices.
Well, yesterday was the day. I was so honored to share the stage at this year’s Think & Drive…Stay Alive Program with four people whose lives were dramatically altered by circumstances. Their stories were heart-wrenching, but important stories for the young people in the audience to hear. Without going into detail, two women shared how their lives were drastically changed when Zach, their son and best friend was killed by a drunk driver.
Then a father and his son told the story of how the son’s journey through addiction to drugs forever changed their lives. I concluded the session by encouraging the audience to think about their choices and, hopefully, avoid the negative and sometimes fatal consequences of drinking and driving, doing drugs, texting while driving, or simply not wearing a seat belt.
It was a great reminder for me that every minute of every day we make dozens of decisions. Some we make consciously, others without thinking. If we allow it, habits form without us ever making the choice we want to be or do something. The choices we make can bring us closer to our goals or they can pull us further away from our goals. Sometimes a choice can set us in the wrong direction, but it can be corrected.
Other times the consequences are so drastic there are no opportunities to correct it. As the kids were reminded in that session, we need to have a goal and work toward reaching it every day. Know what choices have risks, but also the potential for great reward, and what choices could put an end to everything. Then make a plan and choose to live accordingly.
It’s true for us all, you know. We can keep on doing what we’ve always done and get the same results, or we can choose to create a whole new life with meaning: one decision at a time. I feel blessed to be able to help people of all ages evaluate their lives and make adjustments that don’t fit with their goals. Hopefully some of the listeners today will make better choices as a result of the message yesterday and live a full life as a result.
