As we go into the next few chapters, we’re going to talk about change for obvious reasons. If there is one lesson we can take away so far it’s that change doesn’t happen by osmosis. However, I want to demystify the concept of change. Too often I hear individuals speak about change as if it’s not something that can be attained and that it’s extremely complex. The truth is that change is simple, but it’s not easy. So let me be the first to encourage you. If I can do it, anybody can do it. But remember, the first thing we have to do is stop comparing change to some complex coordinates in the theory of atomic and molecular structure and dynamics. It’s not that deep. As a matter of fact, change is so simple that even a child can do it.
Principle 4: Learn to be curious.
Symbolically, when I look at change and think about the initial process, I think about the genie in the bottle story. The story begins with a scared, angry young man walking up and down the beach. While walking, he notices a beautiful golden bottle. His curiosity drives him to move closer. He bends down and picks up the bottle. Once in his grasp he begins to rub it. To his surprise, “BOOM!” the genie appears. “Thank you for setting me free. For thousands of years I have been trapped inside this bottle waiting to be released to share with someone the secrets to success. And to show you my appreciation, you may ask me for anything, and your wish is my command.”
Don’t miss the message. For many of us our change has been bottled up. I believe within every person is the capacity for change. Furthermore, I believe every individual at some point in his or her life has had multiple opportunities to change. The reality is, many of us do not recognize the need for change or understand the principles needed to create change in our lives. One group of individuals think that they do not need to change and that everybody else needs to change. The second group believes that change is connected to location. If only they could relocate. If only they could move to another city, state, or even country, life would be so much better. We will use the story of the genie to reveal some of the most vital secrets to unleashing the power of change in each of our lives.
Principle 5: Don’t be afraid to explore your curiosity.
What if I told you that the first step in experiencing real success does not require any painstaking effort at all? That’s right; the first step in the process only requires a little exploration of your curiosity. Webster defines curiosity as “a strong desire to know or learn something.” I know it sounds too good to be good to be true, but honestly, the day my luck and my life changed for the better had absolutely nothing to do with effort. Before I left home, I was minding my own business, living life the best way I knew how to live it when all of a sudden, I found myself sleeping in abandoned buildings, eating out of trashcans, and stealing food from the local grocery stores. I remember thinking to myself, “I don’t know how I got here, and I damn sure don’t know how to get myself out.” In my distress, a thought popped in my head, “What would have to happen in order for you to get out of this mess?” I spent the next few days thinking just that, trying to figure out in my mind what it would take to get from this point in my life to where I knew I was destined to be.
Follow the story carefully, it was curiosity and curiosity alone that drove that scared, angry young man toward the beautiful bottle, and it was the exploration of that desire that caused him to rub it. As a result, the genie was set free and the scared, angry, young man was thrust into his new season. Pay attention to the initial exchange between the young man and the genie. Nowhere in the story does the genie ask for a large sum of money or even a small down payment to activate the change process. Let’s be honest, that is not our experience. Everything costs money. You need money to buy the home you have been dreaming about. It will take money as well to drive that car that you have been wanting off the lot. All the genie asked of him was to make a wish. The genie’s job was not to paint a picture of what the young man’s life should look like for him. The genie understood that the young man’s destiny was already inside of him. He didn’t need a handout; he needed someone to challenge him—to get out of him that which was already inside of him. Everything you need, to get everywhere you need to be, is already inside of you. But without a strong desire, and I stress a strong desire, to know or learn something we will never experience the change we so desperately say we want!
Principle 6: You have to saddle your dreams before you can ride them.
I got so excited I sort of gave away the next point, which is my favorite. Ask—ask for anything you desire and your wish is my command. This principle is one of my favorite success principles because it single handedly placed me in a position of greatness. Through this principle I was able to go from rock bottom; sleeping in abandoned buildings and eating out of trashcans to making all my dreams become a reality. The thing I love most about this principle is that all it requires is a healthy imagination. You don’t have to be a genius or intellectually advanced to experience change. In fact, when I began this process over 25 years ago, it was the worst academic year of my life. Remember what I shared? Change requires desire. Once you get to a place in your life where you really want change to take place, guess what? “BOOM!” your genie will appear and say, “Ask of me anything and your wish is my command.”
And that’s exactly what I did; I made a wish. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Without a dime in my pocket or a place to go, I just sat there and used my imagination. I imagined what my life would be like and what type of things I would have. And even today, I recall those moments as some of the most amazing moments of my life. In those few precious minutes I was no longer homeless. Instead, I lived in a beautiful ranch style home with a loving family, a red picket fence, and it was near a gorgeous body of water. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing professionally, but in some capacity I was helping people help themselves. My life was peaceful and drama free.
With desire and imagination alone you can begin to live the life you have dreamt of living. Let me explain how the concept works. Your imagination is like a GPS system. In order for a GPS to work, you must first power it on. I don’t care how basic of a model or complex your GPS system is; it does not work if you don’ turn the power switch to the on position. Once you have powered it up; get ready, get ready, get ready. The only thing left to do before your GPS takes you where your heart desires, is to select a POI (Point of Interest) or provide an address. Bottom line, I used my imagination to rewrite the script of my life and began heading in a new direction.
Let’s stop and do an imagination exercise I call, “Can You See What I See?” First, I want you to ask yourself a very important question. What do you want your life to look like? The operative question is what do you want? The question is not, what does your life currently look like? I am not interested in that answer because it has absolutely nothing to do with the price of tea in China.
For this exercise, I need you to focus solely on what you want your life to look like in the future. The key to this exercise is for you to use all of your creative energy on the rest of your life instead of wasting it focusing on things you cannot change. Note: There are no guidelines or rule to this exercise; it is your life and your imagination. You have the power to be as creative as possible. Remember, this is your life. You are the CEO, CFO, CIO and whatever other O’s I might have overlooked. You are the executive director and the screenwriter of your life, so let’s begin. Here are a few questions to help you start the process.