Change Your Life Now!

When people think about changing their lives, they often think about the big things - changing careers, getting married, losing a significant amount of weight, or moving to a new city.

Big, bold moves that ripple into every area of life.

But this week reminded me that life change can also begin in a single moment.

A few weeks ago, we were involved in a minor car accident close to home. Thank God no one was hurt, other than the cars, but it was still a jarring experience.

The accident was caused by another driver who refused to take responsibility for his reckless driving. He pulled out of a parking lot and, instead of slowing down and yielding, sped into the main road and crashed into our car.

After two weeks of waiting and finally obtaining footage of the accident, he admitted that he was at fault, and we were able to bring the car in to be fixed, which will be its own long process.

But here’s the part that stayed with me:

For weeks, I was upset.

I felt frustrated that he would not take responsibility or apologize. I felt angry that I had to spend so many hours dealing with insurance agents, garages, and all the logistics that followed.

I brought all of that anger and frustration to my own coaching session.

As a coach, I knew these thoughts and feelings were not helping me. But alas, I am human too, and sometimes I need coaching just as much as anyone else.

My coach helped me see something I could not access on my own. She pointed out that this driver may simply not have had access, in that moment, to the values that come more naturally to me. It may have been much harder for him to admit that he was wrong. And while he made a poor choice, that choice did not define who he was as a person. In fact, he had just returned from fighting in Lebanon, a courageous soldier defending our country.

As I sat with that, I felt the judgment and anger begin to loosen. In their place came compassion, appreciation for the values I live by and try to teach my children, and deep gratitude that we walked away safe and unharmed.

It was transformative.

I had been trying to shift this on my own. I know the tools. I use them all the time.

But this time, I needed someone to guide me there.

I left that session feeling lighter, calmer, and more hopeful.

Sometimes change does not begin with a massive life overhaul.

Sometimes your life changes in a moment.

In one conversation.

In one session.

In one new way of seeing things.