Life! By Design_ 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You - Laura Morton [86]
We live in a world full of choices. Everything we do is a choice. We choose to go to work—or not; choose to return a phone call—or not; choose to be calm, present, and in the moment—or not; choose to say “I love you”—or not. When you’re living By Design, you become more aware of the impact of these choices and therefore begin to make better decisions every day.
Now that you’ve made it to the end of my book, will you choose to change? Go back to our original exercise on choosing to change in Chapter 7.
What are the benefits of doing so and the consequences of not?
I know that some people out there will live the rest of their lives believing they have no choices. They think where they were born or how they were raised or where they went to school will dictate the outcome of their lives. Those people use their circumstances as a reflection of how their life has to be. I have met countless people who came from nothing and, because of the power of choice, were able to alter their reality and make their lives successful and full of love and joy.
I met a young man a couple of years ago named Rudy Garcia-Tolson, who was born with a birth defect that left him with two non-functioning legs. By the time he was five years old, Rudy had endured fifteen operations before deciding to have his legs amputated above the knee. His legs didn’t work and he was tired of being in a wheelchair or crawling on the ground, so he told his mother he’d rather lose his legs than continue living as he was. All Rudy wanted was to run and play like the other kids his age.
Eventually, Rudy started changing the perception of what someone missing his legs could accomplish. When he was sixteen, he swam in the 200-meter individual medley in two minutes forty-two seconds to take home the Paralympic Gold Medal from Athens in 2004. He went even faster in Beijing, shaving five full seconds off his time to win his second gold medal and shatter his own world record. He has run a mile in under six minutes and has been showcased around the world. Rudy is an awesome example of someone who made the choice to change. The next time you think you “can’t,” think of Rudy or Ben Comen. If change was possible for them, what is possible for you?
Knowing what you now know about living by default versus living By Design, what will you choose to do with the rest of your life? Will you continue being a victim, choosing to live as you always have, or will you become the victor who chooses the inspired path?
If you still have doubts, doubt all the stories and garbage you’ve been feeding yourself for years! Wake up and go for extraordinary! When you were born, do you think there was a sign on your back that said, “Go be ordinary and average, and suffer”? Or did it say, “You are a child of mine. Go be extraordinary!”
My final question for you is this: Have you been living up to your end of the deal?
Most people have not because of conditioning and the environment in which they live. This is your chance to break out of the mold that you’ve been living in. More important, you’re not doing this just for yourself.
Do it for your family and loved ones.
Do it for the people you work with, your friends, and your neighbors.
Do it for all the people who told you at one time or another that you couldn’t.
Most important, do it for you, my friend.
Welcome to your life, By Design!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people I want to acknowledge who helped bring the vision of this book to life.
I have to start by thanking my friend Toni Haber who introduced me to the most extraordinary writer and partner, Laura Morton. Laura captured my voice on the page in a way that preserved my authenticity and exuberant style—a skill I can only describe as truly By Design. I owe a big thank you to my agent Dan Conaway of Writers House for believing in my vision. Even though Dan thought my ideas sounded hard, he stood firm in his conviction