"This is your world. Shape it or someone else will."

I like this quote because it speaks to a simple, yet powerful concept - at some point, we must realize that we have to take control of our circumstances instead of being victims of them. If we fail to be proactive in our lives and live our purpose, then we will always be at the whim of all outward influences - people, popular culture, societal pressures.


When I speak to both adults and young people, I often share some of the challenges that I have overcome in my life - the death of two of my siblings, challenges with my health, being labeled and mis-labeled early on in my own education. I don't share these things so people will feel sorry for me. Instead, I share them to illustrate that no matter where you may have come from in life, we all have the power to make positive steps in our lives today, and tomorrow, and the next day. In other words, every setback is a set-up for a comeback. 


It's about empowerment, really, and understanding that when we focus on what we can control (instead of what we can't) we begin to move from impossible to I'm possible in our lives. When we make this mental shift, opportunity often knocks.


And when opportunity knocks, we best be ready...