Elect Yourself

 "We constantly change the world, even by our inaction. Therefore, let us change it responsibly." - Benjamin Franklin

Today is Election day. Tons of hype, as people across America get to participate in an amazing opportunity to peacefully choose whom we wish to lead our country. This is a great gift and also a big responsibility for the country we live in. Yes, it is important to have someone that we trust will do an effective and responsible job in leading this country. But we must be careful that we are not relying on these elected leaders to influence our lives. Every four years people threaten to move out of the country if their candidate does not win. These are leaders in powerful positions to make decisions at a higher level of responsibility, but don't dictate how we live our lives on a daily basis.

We need to be responsible as leaders too, for our own lives, on a daily basis. What you need to be able to do is to elect yourself to be President of your own life, daily. Reclaim the control and influence you deserve to own and act for yourself. Your voice. Your actions. Your future. If we elect ourselves as the President of our own lives, we have an opportunity to change our world by what we say and do. But we can also change our world with what we don't say, or don't do, every day.

There are four types of people when it comes to dealing with change, leadership, action and getting results: 

THE DON'T CARE, AND DON'T DO: There are those who don't really care, and don't do anything to help create positive change. Granted, they may not have always been this way. They may have actually really cared at some point and maybe they failed, maybe they tried and got no results, or different results than they had anticipated or wanted. Or maybe they may have just given up. They may not like change. They might not feel strong enough to speak up. They don't think anything they can do to create different results. So they do nothing, and just exist. They see the obstacles outside of them, and feel they can leave it up to someone else to deal with, because they are having a hard enough time dealing with the obstacles inside of them. But there is something they can do. They have to believe in something. They have to believe in themselves. Believe that they can make a difference. They can make a difference one small step at a time. One thought, one belief, one small action at a time. 

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound." - James Allen

THE I DO CARE, BUT I DON'T DO: Then there are those who care, but might be too afraid to; or think they can't make a difference, so they don't do anything to help create positive change. These are the talkers. Do as I say, not as I do type of people. Often complainers. They don't like the way things are, or they really want things to be different, yet they haven't inspired themselves enough to do anything about it. They talk a good game. They may intend to do something, but don't act intentionally. You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, for intention without action is useless. You'll find that there are people less qualified than you doing things that you want to do, simply because they decided to take action. Taking action is the part most people don't do. Then we wonder why things don't change for the better. They may think they are being held back by external forces and not realizing it is the internal forces holding themselves back. Have confidence in yourself and act. You do make a difference. 

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

THE I DON'T CARE*, AND I DO WHAT I WANT: Then there are those who don't care at all (or care, but for the wrong reasons), and do create change, but are really causing more negative disruption. They may resist change, or they may counter. They deal with the disruption of change by creating more of it. They may take action, but don't really care about the results. Nor do they care who it affects along the way. What they do is more self-serving. As long as I get what I want, who cares what other people want. My way or the highway. These are the most dangerous. Especially if they think they are taking actions for the greater good. 

"You can't change anything without causing some degree of disruption. It's impossible, that's exactly what change is. Some people are uncomfortable with the disruption that change causes, but the disruption is necessary if anything is going to change." - Afeni Shakur

THE I DO CARE, AND I WILL DO WHAT I CAN: And finally, there are those who truly do care, they believe they can make a difference, and will work to do their part to make a difference. They not only do what they can, they care about how they do it and who it might impact along the way. They intentionally seek out ways to make a positive difference, because it matters. They seek to live a life of significance. They adapt to change, or help to create it. In small ways, and in big ways. They look for ways to help others.  These are the true difference makers. They know things need to change and know that they can do their part. See the change, be the change. 

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

The truth is, people may slide in and out of all of these categories from time to time.  Different circumstances may dictate our thoughts, feelings and emotions causing us to act one way or another in any given moment of time.  But realize that you can take control over these things. We are in charge of our thoughts, emotions and actions. We preside over them. We can be the president of our own life, and change our world.

Make today great!

Curtis

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” -  Edward Everett Hale