About thirty years ago, I was on the Island of Jamaica for a vacation that was supposed to restore my calm, peace, and stability.  While staying with friends there, I met their father who was 84 years old.  He went outside to get a coconut from his coconut tree, and while he was cutting the coconut open with his machete, I asked him what kind of advice he could give to a young man my age to fair well in life.  He responded, “take life easy.”  Not satisfied with such a simple answer, I asked the question in a different way, and his response was the same.  Finally, I raised other questions to glean some wisdom from his age and experience and again he said to me, “take life easy.”

Sometimes it takes a long time to learn a simple truth.  Stress prohibits the free flow of life.  Athletes relax before events so they can perform their best.  “Ahh, but isn’t discipline itself a way of bringing stress,” you may ask.  I am glad you raised that point.  I am finding that when I am most at ease in my discipline, or my consistency, I am the most relaxed and when I am most relaxed, I can be focused to be my most disciplined.  I guess you might say that relaxed discipline is learning how to put the right stress in the right place at the right time, in order to make what is difficult easy, and make life more enjoyable.  Life does get easier when you stop stressing about doing, and just get up and get going.  When we discipline ourselves to relax and enjoy life, even our vacations will be less stressful, and we can indeed, take life easy every day.

My father used to say, “Son, one thing you owe everyone is a ‘good morning,’ a ‘good afternoon,’ or a ‘good evening’.”  He would say, “once you’ve done that, you’ve paid your debt.”  It seems that we seldom think in terms of what we may owe the world, rather we tend to concentrate on what we think the world owes us.  Hospitality translates into dollars and cents and can often turn non-sense into commonsense.  Restaurants, retailers, pharmacies, most successful business concerns, and those who earn tips and gratuities, have learned the monetary benefits of a kind greeting.  On the other hand, a kind greeting often diffuses the anger of an irate person who may have done something regrettable. 

Hmm, what a concept? We owe each other the acknowledgement of each other’s presence as another human being.  Well, for the most part, I have followed my father’s advice.  In the southern states it was easier because of the notion of southern hospitality.  However, I found that it worked in cities all over the country, including New York City.  I have also, seen it work when I was in hostile territory, disarming would be assailants.  So, I think I am going to expand my father’s philosophy. 

I am going to view myself as a business with a lot to offer the world.  Then, I am going to see every human being as my potential customer, business partner, client, or neighbor and, given the opportunity, I think I will greet them.  Now, this is going to take a great deal of discipline for me to be successful because there are some mean and angry people in the world.  Maybe what I owe them will help them to come to their senses and stop charging the world for what they themselves have not paid.

Our thoughts are like gardens, and we must be careful what we plant and allow to be planted in them.  Have you ever had so many ideas and thoughts that you couldn’t seem to organize them into a plan?  You cannot plant beans, carrots, beets, and lettuce all at the same time, even though you may plant them all on the same day.  Discipline requires step-by-step planning and step-by-step execution of the plan.  Choose the produce that you want in your garden.  Don’t plant just to plant, only plant what you want, unless there is a market or need for it.  Take your time and prepare the soil.  Research the best time to plant the produce that you want. 

In order to know what is in your thought garden, you must examine your thoughts regularly.  What grows in your thoughts will grow in your life.  Advertisements are often designed to bypass our examination processes so that we decide to buy a product or service, without deciding consciously.  Unexamined thoughts can easily take roots and grow.  Before you know it, your mind and life are cluttered with things that you don’t want or need, and even sometimes things that are very harmful to us or others. 

Envision your thought garden and your life as you would like to see it, not simply as a daydream or wish, but as a goal for which you are willing to discipline yourself to establish and carryout a plan.  I often remind myself that wishing only works when work and discipline are applied to the wish.  If we discipline ourselves daily, we will have successful gardening in this season in our lives.  By the way, don’t forget to pull the weeds and water!

You didn’t get in debt overnight nor in a few months.  You and your spouse did just stop communicating this morning or last night.  Yes, you are behind in school, but it didn’t just happen, you have been falling behind for a while.  I would venture to say that each one of us has some area of our lives that we have neglected or avoided, for whatever reason.  These are the areas that can sink our ship.  Just as our discipline in these areas didn’t fall off overnight, most likely, we are not going to turn the ship around overnight.  Discipline takes time.  It will take disciplined consistency to change and maintain a course of change.  This means that we must find methods that work for us, individually.  Whenever we use methods that others use, it is easy to become discouraged and quit, because they were tailor-made for someone else.  Find your method, and methodically work it.  In looking for your individual method, sometimes you can find a clue by reversing your steps.  Walk your way back through the steps of how you got into this situation, and then do the opposite thing to reverse the process.  Step-by-step, where you use to spend five dollars, save two dollars and put three towards the debt.  In your relationship, where you slowly stopped talking, listening, and caring, slowly start talking and listening, and you will probably slowly start caring. If you got behind in algebra or reading, go to Youtube for dummies for algebra or reading, and learn the basics that you missed.  This is the disciplined reversal technique which allows for disciplined success, rather than quick fixes.  Slow and steady you will turn the ship around, and soon you will be sailing on the high seas, headed for places you never thought you would see, and doing things you never thought you could or would. 

Balance is an extremely important part of life itself.  The earth and the planets must be kept in balance for them to maintain their place in our solar system.  When our diets are in balance we are in better health.  A good balance between diet, exercise, and relaxation are said to be a good recipe for overall emotional, physical, and mental health.  This balance requires discipline and discipline requires balance.  This is particularly true when it comes to the right-sizing of our egos, which I believe is very difficult to do, because most of the time it is difficult to recognize that it is out of balance. 

So, it is time for an ego check.  Are you sitting on gifts, talents, and information that others would benefit others because you are afraid, timid, shy, or ashamed?  Then it may be that your ego is standing in the way.  Are you impatient with others because they cannot, or seemingly will not, grasp the knowledge that you want to share with them?  Them perhaps your ego is blocking your ability to understand life through their eyes. A new perspective may give you a new way to approach the way you share your knowledge.

The ego is defined as, “the ‘I’ or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.”   When my thoughts, feelings, and what I want, get in the way, my ego is in control.  So, I am checking my ego because it is blocking my flow.  I cannot say that I am trying to help someone and make it all about me.  A parent cannot teach and guide a child to be balanced and disciplined for success, when it is all about what the parent thinks and wants, and none of what the child wants or thinks.  We must discipline our egos, because our greatest success is not achieved alone but by giving and receiving, by listening and sharing, in an atmosphere of egos in balance.  Be courageous, let’s do an ego-check, surge forth unselfconsciously, so we can see our thoughts, desires, feelings, and emotions, as being no more or less important than others.  Ego-checked, balance restored, temporarily, success is on the way!

A father takes his child up in his arms and lifts the child in the air.  He looks in the child’s eyes and tells him, “you are special to me, and you will always be close to my heart.”  The child grows older and has some difficulty adjusting in school, goes through adolescence with the usual struggles, and again the father pulls his son to him, hugs him, and says, “you are special to me, and you will always be close to my heart.”  This is the gift of a father’s heart that so many people have missed.  In fact, I believe that it is the father’s heart for his children that can turn the course of so many communities around the world if we could revive the hearts of the fathers. 

If communities around the world are going to be successful in saving our youth, we are going to have to discipline ourselves for the success of our children.  Mothers, it is going to take discipline to get beyond the pain caused by the fathers of your children in order to turn the heart of your children towards their fathers.  Fathers, it is going to require forgiveness for mothers who have hurt you and reaching out to your children.  This is an unusual discipline that is going to change our neighborhoods and communities around the world.

Dads, it is time to touch the hearts of your children.  If you have hurt them, ask for forgiveness, and do all you can to heal the wounds.  When we do this, dads will take their rightful place in the world again.  Let’s discipline ourselves for the successful recovery of our children.

Are you a hoarder?  Is every available space in your home, office, or garage cluttered with things that could have been discarded years ago?  Why is it that we feel the need to hold on to things that just take up space and have no use to us?  Have you ever noticed that when you take the time to clean off your desk, the garage, or clean a room in your home, that it seems as though a weight has lifted off you?  Just like physical clutter becomes a burden, emotional and mental weight can become a burden also.  Well, it is time to organize our stuff into ‘will need’, ‘might need’, and ‘no longer need’.  Only the ‘will need’ pile is necessary to keep.  It is the ‘might need’ pile that causes the clutter to pile up.

The same discipline that is necessary to clean out a room, a garage, or a house, is necessary to de-clutter our minds also.  It is time to let go of some of some memories, worries, hurts, and dead dreams.  Get your ticket and passport ready, focus on your destination, and leave all unnecessary burdens behind.  It is time to travel to those places we are destined to see, and do those things we are destined to do[RT1] .  Since we pay a surcharge for extra luggage, let’s lighten the load.  Let’s take a carryon and a personal item, and let’s make our way to the place that has been awaiting our arrival.

When we are disciplined to successfully fulfill our life’s purpose, we pack smart, discard wisely, and always travel light.

---

 [RT1]

Birds rest. Bees rest. Flowers rest. Animals rest. The soil rests. Even the wind rests.  Everything needs rest, and we do too.  In our fast paced society we often run and weary ourselves without resting.  Sleep does not always mean rest.  Even when we sleep, we often cannot rest because our mind is still racing.  Not only does our body need rest, but our mind, our spirit, and we ourselves need rest as well. 

Our bodies need rest to regenerate and regain strength.  Our minds need rest in order to maintain focus and creativity.  Rest avoids and relieves stress.  A stressed body and mind will affect our emotions, and stressed emotions can lead to explosive reactions.  A stressed body can lead to physical illness.  A stressed mind can lead to mental illness. Stressed emotions can lead to emotional illness.  With all those stresses, now your spirit has been stressed and you are in a state of spiritual illness.

Whoa, put your foot on the brakes and slowdown!  It’s time to rest!  We must discipline ourselves to rest our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits each day.  When we are rested and healthy in all these areas, we will be more productive, creative, and successful in whatever we attempt to do in life. Rest!!   

Our world is becoming more polarized by strong beliefs and emotions which are making it impossible for opposite sides to talk to each other.  For those who have experienced divorce, you may have had a similar experience.  It is amazing how two people, who once smiled and laughed together can become bitter enemies in the end.  I believe it all begins with a disagreement.  Small disagreements set the stage for future interactions. Whether you are a wife, husband, politician, teacher, or minister, we tend to become stubborn in our opinions and refuse to hear the other side.  I disagree with you, and you disagree with me, whether verbally or non-verbally, and there is no middle ground.

Disagreements are actually very good for personal, business, political, and religious relationships, but they seldom perceived as such.  When two people disagree, it gives them a chance to learn from one another, grow, and work better together.  Too often in relationships we take an immovable stance in our opinions, and our pride will not allow us to hear or seek to understand the other person’s position.  So, the subtle wars begin.

Here’s a suggestion, the next time you disagree strongly with someone, make a list of things on which you agree.  You might have to ask questions to find out where you agree.  Then write down the things you disagree on and ask yourself is there any truth in what they believe.  This will at least make discussion possible without all out war.  Like most growth and productive change, this will require discipline if we are going to be successful in benefiting from disagreements, versus going to war over them.  The discipline of finding common ground is a practice that can save marriages, nations, and businesses.

Although some singers can cover a wide range of octaves, generally a soprano is a soprano and an alto is an alto.  The same is true of each of us in life.  We all have our unique place in our families, on our jobs, and in the world.  Just as there are no two fingerprints alike, each of us have a unique place in the lives of others.  When we accept the uniqueness of others, we stop asking them to change who they are, consciously or unconsciously.  Instead, as we celebrate their uniqueness, we help to liberate them so that they feel better about being themselves.  It would be wonderful if children had this celebration of their uniqueness in their formative years. 

Instead of one-size-fits-all, I am learning that everyone has something amazing and valuable to bring to the table.  There is an African proverb that says, “if you can talk, you can sing, if you can walk, you can dance.”  I encourage everyone I can, to find the unique gifts they bring to the world, and to take their place in the choir and on the dance floor.  I believe everyone has at least one note that can enhance the choir and one step or move that can bring art to the dance.  Unfortunately, it is our tendency to want everyone to be like us, or to conform to a standard that we have, which makes it difficult for children and adults to be free to be themselves.

So, our challenge is to discipline ourselves to work on the notes and steps that are uniquely ours, and to sing and dance until our notes fit in compositions, and our steps are choreographed into dance routines.   When we are disciplined for success, those who laughed or scorned our differences will celebrate our uniqueness.

One thing goes wrong, then another thing goes wrong.  The bills are due, and the money is short.  Tension in the house, and in every relationship.  My, my, then old clichés begin ring in your thoughts.  “When it rains, it pours!”  “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong” (Murphy’s Law).  Well, “stick a pin” as they say, wait just a minute.  Let’s take an honest assessment.  No matter how bad things have been in our lives, no matter what trouble we have, or how many loved ones have suffered or died, if we can only speak of the negatives, the hole gets deeper and the pain gets stronger.

While we are counting the negatives, and listing our sorrows, let’s pause for a moment and make a list of the positives.  When I began to count the positives versus the negatives occurring in my life, even when things are going wrong, the positive count so far outnumbered the negatives.  Now I pause more to be thankful for the positives, during the negatives.  The surprising thing that occurred as I became more grateful was that, not only did the negatives get less of my attention, but they seemed to be resolved faster and faster.  So now, I discipline myself to count the positives before the negatives.  If we are going to be disciplined for success, our positives must be on full display, even when the negatives things in our lives are fighting to make the headlines.

Take a moment the next time trouble tries to take the ‘breaking news’ spot in your thoughts.  Say to yourself, “this just in, breaking news,” “I am grateful for this, and grateful for that.”  By the time you finish being grateful, every day, trouble will be a footnote in your thoughts.  Eventually, you will say to trouble, “thank you, because you helped me to learn the power of gratefulness.

The apple had to be cut off from the life of the tree in order to eat it.  The apple seed is taken from the apple.  The seed must be buried in order to live again. As roots and stems grow from the seed, the seed dies.  The roots run downward, and the stem grows upward.  The leaves and buds begin to grow, and as the buds begin to blossom, and the blossoms begin to bloom, lots of apples can come from one tree.  The amazing thing is that out of one seed, the same tree can give bushels of apples for many years, long after the one who planted the tree has died. 

There is a seed in all of us!  All of us are a seed!  All of us have a seed to plant!  In each case the seed must die in order to live.  Each of us must find our seed that was given to us by God, and make sure that we are cultivating the soil well enough for the roots to grow in us, and for the stem to spring forth from us.  We then become a seed planted in our families, communities, and our world, our lives will provide enough fruit so that others can eat and produce fruit also.  Then we must make sure that we are planting seeds in the lives of others, and for the unborn, so that our tree will produce fruit for generations to come, long after we are dead and gone.  We must give, in order to live!

Every time we produce fruit, we may eat it, and share it, but we must remember to plant the seed that comes from the fruit so that the seed, the tree, and the fruit can keep producing.   It will take discipline to cultivate all three seeds, reap the benefits, plants the seeds that come from the benefits, sow seeds in others, and ultimately become a seed ourselves.  When we do this, our discipline will bring success to untold numbers of people.  So, like the seed, we must die each day, in order to live.

A coach will push you.  A coach will teach you. A coach will set goals for you.  When you are disciplined for success, you are your coach.  You set the goals.  You study for excellence. You encourage and push yourself.  You are driven by your mission and your goals.  You draw on the help, knowledge, and strength of others but you are the coach with the internal drive.

Imagine something that you could do in your life that would be powerful enough to become your mission, for the rest of your life.  I believe that even those who are considered lazy would become motivated and driven, if they had a mission strong enough to move them.  Self-preservation and survival are strong motivators, but once it becomes safe, the instinct goes dormant.  The mission must be greater than self-preservation.  Now that you have your mission in mind, it’s time to coach yourself.  Remember, whatever the mission, the Olympic goal medal is our goal.  Set your sites high with a Superbowl mindset. 

Break down the mission into segments, and your goals into doable parts.  There are approximately 2000 steps in a mile.  If your goal is to be able to walk a mile a day, if you start with 25 steps and add 6 steps each day, in less than a year you will be walking a mile a day.  Olympians and champions start at the bottom and work their way up.  Become your own cheerleader!  Celebrate small victories and push through the tough times.  As you reach the summit, you will look at the mountain, and say to your coach, “we did it, our discipline has paid off with success!  No matter how simple the goal, or how small the mountain, start climbing today!

You may have heard the cliché, “April showers bring May flowers.”  Yes, there are tulips, daffodils, and lilies, that are waiting for the April showers to water the ground so that they can spring forth and bloom.  Sometimes we don’t know what is waiting underground to spring forth until it rains.  While we sometimes complain about the rain, I don’t believe I have ever heard anyone complain about the beauty of the flowers on a sunshiny day. 

Perhaps you have heard the words of the poet, “into each life some rain must fall.”  Let’s make sure we are planting good seeds daily that will grow when the rains come.  Let’s also look for the seeds that have already been planted in us, of which we may not be aware.  A tulip cannot grow from under a rock, so let’s remove the rocks and stones from our hearts, minds, and spirits, and welcome the rain, so that the beauty that is in us can come forth.  After the rain comes the sunshine, much beauty awaits us.  Hold on!

We are gardeners, and the more we plant, the more that will spring forth after it rains. Let’s plant long-term and short-term. Perennial plants bloom year after year, sometimes perpetually.  Annuals must be planted every year or two.  Both, however, need the rain, and both need good soil in which to grow.  If we choose our seeds wisely, remove the rocks and clods from our lives, and endure the rains as they come, we will be successful in bringing beauty to the world, when we are disciplined for success.

The philosopher Renee Descartes is famous for his declaration of proof of our existence by the fact that we can think.  He said, “I think, therefore, I am.”  I have contemplated his assertion over the years and realized that while thinking and contemplation have their place, they can never move me forward unless I act on what I think.  To avoid becoming too philosophical, let me say that I had to give myself a new axiom, “I am, therefore, I do.” Who knows, a rock may think and contemplate, maybe it just got stuck in that state.  Until it moves to do something, we will never know.

Perhaps, you, like me, have been stuck so long in the thinking and contemplating state that we have failed to act on our thoughts.  When I make up my mind to do something, the only thing that reveals that my mind was made-up, is the fact that I did what I said I would do.  If you think of something good to do, then do it!  If you say you will, then do!  Once you do it, contemplate, reflect, and think of something else to do, and keep on doing.  In so doing, you don’t have to worry about being mistaken for a rock, who sits and does nothing.  As we become more disciplined for success, we will continually move from thinking to doing.  I think, therefore, I will!  I will, therefore, I do!  I do, therefore, I am!

Have you ever had a boss who was not bossy?  One who asked or requested, rather than demanded that certain things be done?  Have who ever had a boss who told you what to do, rather than asking?  It has been my observation that productivity and morale are higher under the boss who is not domineering, bossy, or controlling, especially when that boss communicates well, articulates the mission, and has high expectations of him/herself and everyone around them.  That is leadership!

In order to be the ‘boss of you,’ you must show yourself the same respect.  Too often we beat ourselves up when we do not meet our desires goals or live up to our own expectations.  Kindness to oneself goes a long way.  However, this does not mean that you can be easy on yourself or lower your goals and expectations.  When the voice in your head is mean to you, you are probably tempted to quit, take a break, go get something to eat, or engage in some other diversion.  But when the voice in your head says, “take your time,” “let’s go over this again,” “be patient, we’re going to win.”  Suddenly, you cease to be a dictator or tyrant to yourself, now you can become an effective manager.  Managers work with you, they do not lord over you.  Managers bring out the best in you, and you, in turn, bring out the best in them.

If we are going to become our own bosses, we must discipline ourselves to effectively manage the voice inside of our head.  When it becomes critical and judgmental, we must remind it to help us, rather than judge and criticize us.  When the voice in our head becomes fearful, we must tell it, “no worries, we can handle this together.”  If we are going to be disciplined for success in all areas of our lives, we must never let the voice in our head, nor voices from the outside, bully us, or boss us around.  It is time to be the boss of you!

I have spoken to several people recently who have a lot of stored up pain from their past.  Hurt and bitterness can cause you to miss out on so much of the day-to-day pleasures that are available for us, even if we are in presently in a bad position because of past mistakes or because of what has been done to us.  Yes, he hurt you, and the pain runs deep, but the only way to free yourself from the past, and the pain, is to forgive the other person and yourself.  We must consciously discipline ourselves to shake off the bitterness, and move forward to a brand-new place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  However, when we move, we must leave no forwarding address for the hurt, the pain, and the bitterness.  We must even leave the old furniture and wardrobe behind. 

Bringing any of the emotional or mental furniture from the past will only bring memories that will allow the rest of the past furniture to discover your location, and before you know it, it has all moved in again.  Now you are bitter, hurt, and angry all over again.  I know I have hurt people in my life, but I did not do it intentionally, nevertheless, the wound was caused.  I asked them to forgive me so that I could move forward and away from the guilt and shame.  This freed me to receive forgiveness from God, the person I hurt, and from me.

In talking to others about the pain and bitterness in their lives, I discovered that sometimes it is there unconsciously.  Someone hurt them in their childhood, and they have become untrusting as adults.  Often the father or mother abandoned them physically or emotionally, and now there is a strong defense against being hurt again, with an inability to truly connect with another person.  Whatever the case may be, there are things in our past that are sometimes too painful to look at or address, but until we do, we cannot be fully set free of them.  So, when it hurts too much, look for the strength to face the pain, and do what it takes to understand it, and discipline yourself to work through it.  When you discover the reason for the pain in yourself, you may also see that the person(s) who hurt you were also victimized in the same way.  By disciplining yourself for successful relocation, you can move to an amazing place of health and wellness and bring others along with you. 

I can still remember the smell of apples or grapes cooking in my mother’s kitchen, after we had been on a family excursion to pick apples or grapes at various places my parents had found.  I can still remember the canned applesauce and grape jelly in ‘Ball’ jars lining the pantry walls, stored up for months and years to come.  I can still remember the smell of tomatoes and beets cooking taken from my parents’ garden, again to be canned and stored in the pantry.  To have had such a small yard, my parents’ garden yielded enough food to feed a family of seven, even through the winter months.  Green beans, collard greens, onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, and turnips greens, from our garden were often stored in the deep freezer to feed the family and guests which often frequented our home for Sunday dinners.

It seems that in our fast-paced society we no longer have time to prepare for rainy days and hard times.  When my father was laid off from his job for months, we never ran out of food.  Maybe it was because my parents lived during the time of the ‘Great Depression’, but I believe we would do well to prepare for rainy days and difficult times.  We need a rainy-day fund in all areas of our lives, food, money, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, intellectually, etc.  Yes, we can store up reserves in all these areas.  It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to save and not spend, to store up instead of squandering.  Freedom comes with surplus, and we must discipline ourselves to have enough and to spare in every area of our lives.  Just as animals store food for the winter, we can learn to save and store for rainy-days and to be free to help others if needed, if we successful discipline ourselves. 

Have you ever just sat and allowed your imagination to run wild?  It is amazing the things your imagination can create.  If you could take the artist’s pen and begin to draw your future, what would it look like?  The imagination allows you create a dream, which can turn into a vision, and in process of time, your imagination has become reality.  To imagine is to create an image in one’s mind.  As the artist begins with one dot or one stroke on the canvass, we too can create by taking time to imagine.  Perhaps everything we use in our world began as an image in someone’s mind.

In order to activate your imagination, you must set aside time to give your mind time to paint.  It may begin with the question, “what if?”  Perhaps we have been so busy studying the world through the scientific method that we have lost our use of the creative method.  You never know, out of your imagination can come a picture which changes your life and the lives of others in an amazing way.  In order to do this, discipline will also be required.  You must discipline yourself to take the time, to be still, and to allow your mind to exit its usual pattern of thinking.  When this is done, not only will your mind have had a break, but you will begin to see possibilities everywhere.  Just imagine, what dreams and visions can come out of your imagination?

Everything changes, and change occurs around us every day.  Changes within us are sometimes slower and harder to detect.  Sickness and disease creep up on us, perhaps because we are not sensitive to the changes that are going on inside of our bodies.  Marriages slowly lose their initial excitement, and what used to bring joy, now becomes a burden.  Divorce doesn’t just suddenly happen, there must be a slow eating away at the fabric of the relationship over time.  Suddenly, the couple wakes up one day and asks, “when did things change, and what happened to us?”  I think the more important question to ask is “why didn’t we change, when things changed?”  All change requires adjustment.

I believe the greatest obstacle to our growth and progress is the fear of change.  We hold tenaciously to what was, refusing to adjust to the changes that have occurred.  Change is perpetual, with a natural flow, and when we adjust to change with minimal resistance, it is easier to live and flow in the rhythms of life.  Making changes requires taking a risk.  Some of the greatest leaps forward in my life occurred when I pushed through my fears and took a risk.  Even when I failed and suffered, I still moved forward, learning from my failures, even writing books about them. 

When you get the opportunity to get off the bench and into the game, jump up and go forward because the team needs you.  When fear threatens to paralyze you, and lock you in a time capsule, speak to that fear with the words from a popular movie, “I ain’t afraid of no ghost.”  Discipline yourself for the successful management of change every day, and watch the joy and excitement grow in your life.