The glow of the screen illuminated the dark expanse. Minds were lost in a space between childhood imagination and the stark reality that is amplified with age. I sat in-between my two daughters with my feet kicked up and cell phone turned off. The only noticeable tension was the fight for hand-dominance in the popcorn bucket.
The movie was entertaining enough to keep me from drifting into an enjoyable afternoon nap. And then a line in the movie hit, forcing my mind out-of-state of child-like imagination. With butter and salt crusted fingers, I grabbed my cell phone and quickly wrote these words down:
“‘But can we fix it?’ In every moment there is a potential for a better future.”
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the major fixes in life – the catastrophic areas that are beyond the easy, or even complicated, fix. But think for a moment about the other areas – the chips, cracks, fractures, broken areas that if you leverage focused time, will lead to a better future?
What if you . . . .
What if YOU decided to not spend every dollar you earned and started saving today – any amount?
What if YOU started going to bed 1 hour earlier?
What if YOU started to exercise one day a week – or even every other day?
What if YOU asked for help to overcome an addiction?
What if YOU planned a date night or surprised your spouse with a trip away?
What if YOU scheduled time to watch a movie with your kids?
What if YOU chose to pursue that dream?
What if YOU turned off your cell phone at the dinner table?
What if YOU, as a family, actually started eating dinner together?
What if YOU forgave one person that you don’t feel deserves your forgiveness?
What if YOU intentionally reached out to a family member with the goal to create peace?
What if YOU shared with a friend a habit that is negatively impacting your life?
What if you decided to take a risk?
What if YOU __________________?
Two questions to answer:
The answer to the question “Can you fix it?” is more than likely a resounding YES. Yes – you can fix it. Your life can head in a new direction. There is a fix to whatever is missing, chipped, broken, or shattered in your life.Your current circumstance does not have to define your future reality. You can experience a better future!
The next question that you must face is more complicated: “Do you want to do what it takes to fix it?” Your situation might have a simple solution. Or it might be really complicated – filled with dark emotional complexities and paralyzing fear. Either way, decide whether or not you are willing to face your situation, no matter the complexity and pain associated with it, and do what it takes to fix it.
Now invite someone to join you in the journey. Why? Because one is too small of a number for greatness.