START Day 2/3

As I continue through this experiment I cannot help but feel blessed.  I have group of 23 other dreamers who are at different stages in their lives.  Some have already worked hard and are so close to their dream they can reach out and touch it.  Others are about halfway there.

For me its about finally taking MY road less traveled.

From ChasingaMiracle.com

Last week my wife and shared one of those rare moments of child free conversation.   I blabbed on and on about this experiment while she listened with interest, as she has always done.

In discussing choices that we make in life a thought kept coming into my mind.

What if we made different choices at key points in our lives?

If we had not left our apartment to live in a small "mother in law" suite (both of us thought the other one wanted to live there to save money - we both hated it) we would have never been motivated to buy a house.

We also may not have learned the valuable lesson on communicating to each other.  One item after another popped in our heads about what would have been different had we not made that initial decision to move into what we affectionately refereed to as "the box".

Same goes for our relationship.  We missed meeting each other multiple times, but finally did at a school dance - her school's dance - that I went to with a friend.  The choice to go to the dance ultimately lead to my girlfriend breaking up with me.  At the dance I met her, I shook her hand and we danced. 

We would eventually start dating, get married and have two wonderful kids.  All because of a decision to go to a dance that wasn't at my school and was far from my comfort zone. One decision affected the course of our lives.

It does not have to be big decision either.  Holding a door for someone and smiling as you say "hello" to them.  You may have turned a day around that otherwise could have ended tragically.  Choosing to forgive someone instead of holding a grudge may melt a heart of stone.  Taking the high road at work when you don't get what you want can cause others to see that something is different in you and cause others to follow suite.

Everything happens for a reason. You are reading my words at this very moment for a reason that you might not know yet.  Maybe you're hurting and need to know someone cares.  Maybe you're struggling with someone and need someone to pray for you.  Maybe you're afraid to fail so you won't chase your dream with everything you have.

Now is your time.  You cannot change your past.  You can reflect on it and see how your decisions affected you and others. You can, however, change your future. 

The trajectory of your path to excellence can take a sharp turn upward today.  The decisions you make today will affect you and others around you for many years to come.  Is that scary? It most definitely is. However, it should also be exhilarating.

You cannot do anything about the decisions you made leading up to this very moment, but your future is up for grabs.  Every decision matters. Every good choice paves a path to excellence. Every poor decision sets you back a few steps.

Make a decision today to build your legacy one choice at a time.  I'll be praying for you as you do.