He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution that rejects progress is the cemetery. —Edmund Wilson

I will use two analogies: a sailboat and a brick road.

Leaks in a sailboat, torn sails, and broken winches are all examples of problems. Solving those problems keeps the boat afloat. But having a boat that floats does not mean it is going to go anywhere. Only by making changes, such as setting the sails and tacking back and forth, will the boat sail to a destination.

Problems are also like bricks in the road—they are finite and the number of problems just keeps going and going, as far as the eye can see. Sometimes the problems seem more like boulders or mountains than bricks. But in all cases, they are on the path to where you want to go. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Dorothy is told to follow the yellow brick road to reach the Emerald City where she will find the Wizard of Oz. Her visit with the Wizard in Emerald City is a milestone in her journey to return to her home in Kansas.

Likewise, problems are bricks in the road that form a path to reach milestones in your business and in your life. Changes are the milestones in your journey. Changes are the destinations you try to reach through solving problems.

We often get caught up in the problems and lose the perspective that the problems are just bricks. Only by achieving changes will we open opportunities and reach our goals.

Before you leave work for the day, or before you go to sleep at the end of the day, ask yourself, “What did I change today?” If you did not change anything, you did not create any opportunities.
Then, before you go to sleep, ask yourself, “What am I going to change tomorrow?” If you only make one small change every day, then when you look back at the end of the year, you will have accomplished far more than you could have imagined.

After you experience the power of change, you will become passionate and want to help others experience the benefits. When you passionately believe in the power of change, as can only happen through experiencing it, you will glow with enthusiasm, confidence, and substance. Your passion will be infectious and you will successfully help your customers create new opportunities and enjoy new rewards.

Make one change per day. Seek new opportunities for yourself and your customers. Count your blessings; then count your changes.

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