Lately I have been really pondering about how we can effect change in this world…change for the better.  I know I know…I can hear it now…Martin there are a million and one things that can and should be done.  I was talking to a friend over the weekend who was telling me about the sadness and pain that is STILL going on in the 9th Ward, and other areas of New Orleans that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  So what can you do to empower others and make a change? While you are thinking about this, ponder these thoughts…

When you look back on your life, are you pleased with what you see?  Have you made good decisions?  Have you been good to others?  Have you done your best?  This exercise is usually played out on a person’s death bed and is all too often filled with regrets and thoughts of unfulfilled dreams or promises.  Most people wish they had spent more time with the people they loved and the activities they enjoyed.  They usually don’t wish they had worked more nor had more stress in their lives.  Writing your own obituary or imagining your own funeral can be an eye-opening look into your own life while there is still time to make some important changes. While this may sound morbid to some, it can actually be very thought-provoking and allow you to set some new goals and re-focus your energies toward things you may have been putting off or didn’t have the courage to begin.  Ask yourself what you would like people to say about you at your funeral.  How will you be remembered?  Will they talk about your kindness and generosity or your inability to get along with people and your sarcastic attitude?  If you want to be remembered as someone who made a difference in others lives and made a positive contribution to society, the time to start is now.  It’s never too late to start living the legacy by which you would like to be remembered.

Empower your life now, by empowering other individual’s  lives.  Why not start today…why not start now?

Stop giving away your power.  When you seek approval to shoot for your goals and dreams, you give away your power. Don’t ask permission to live your life, just go live it! The people you most want approval from may not have your best interest at heart, but rather their own. They may want to protect you, yet not realize your strength. They may not understand, so show them.

Get quiet, listen to your gut, then go for it. It’s ok to get opinions, weigh options, and do your research, after all you want to make sure you’re starting down the right path to your goals. But don’t give away your power, write your own permission slip.

Stay CLEAR…stay FOCUSED…and it will be yours…Heather Frey, President and Founder of SmashFit.com.  Heather had such an amazing post that I asked her permission to reprint it along with my thoughts.

When you quit…you really fail. You have potential…act on it…create results. Results yield a belief which funnels more potential. Even negative results  can be positive…realizing moving forward that you had a 50/50 chance of having a positive outcome…never ever quit! Always “push through” no matter how challenging and daunting it may seem. Then you will truly WIN!!  I remember a quote from the movie “The Replacements“…Gene Hackman told Keanu Reaves that when the game is on the line, winners always want the ball.  do you want the ball?  Do you see yourself as a winner?

Empowerment is within your reach…reach out and grab it…never let go!