Published Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:03 AM
Updated Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:03 AM

 

Wise Words from Williams

Wake up, fix up, get set up … and move up


There are lots of things happening in people’s lives to let them feel discouraged. I have heard of some tragic deaths over the past month … people in the prime of their lives, as well as some who were far from reaching their prime.

There are other situations like foreclosures, loss of jobs, financial challenges and severe family and relationship issues that have proven to be trying moments for many people.

Life is not easy and no one said it would be, but sometimes it hits you so hard it takes your breath away and leaves you gasping for air.

In times like these you can disconnect from living and begin to feel sorry for yourself. You can rail at others or God, and ask why me, why me? You could also use the situation to get better, not bitter.

Challenges can either become obstacles or opportunities.

What they become is dependent on how you respond to them or how you manage them. Turn your stumbling blocks into steppingstones and use adversity as an opportunity to grow despite the difficulty you face.

Here are three things you can do. You can wake up, fix up and get ready to move up.

Wake up. Sometimes it takes something big or out of the ordinary to wake us up to some realization that we have been ignoring. What ever that is for you I don’t know. You have to decide that for yourself. Don’t continue to take the people who mean the most to you for granted as if they are always going to be there. That is something you need to wake up to. My suggestion is that you set aside some time and do some thinking.

Ask if there are some things you should be doing that are important to you that you are not doing. Ask your self if there is anything or anyone in your life that you are taking for granted.

Suppose today was your last day on earth. What regrets would you have? Life is too precious to sleep walk through it.

The next step is to fix up. I believe that is self explanatory. There is no point to waking up to a reality that some thing is not the way it should be, or that we are doing or not doing something we should and then go no further. With self discovery must come change. So take action to correct some things in your life that needs correcting.

Fixing up takes effort but the results is well worth the effort. When you take action to correct things you put yourself in a position to move up or to be better. In other words you are getting set up to move up. Moving up could be as simple as having better relationship with one or more persons than you ever had before. Moving up could mean a promotion. Moving up could mean your spiritual life will be vastly improved. Moving up means different things to different people.

The bottom line is when we start doing the things we need to do life starts changing for us. And when we start doing what’s right, although life may not be perfect things will work out better for us. So, wake up, fix up and get ready to move up.

Valentine Williams is a motivational speaker, seminar/workshop leader, personal development coach, adjunct instructor and the author of Youth Empowered to Succeed. He is also the president of Williams Speaking and Training Services, a people development organization that conducts professional and personal development training and staff development workshops. You can reach him with your questions or comments at: wisewords@valentinespeaks.com or valmyval@yahoo.com