You have probably heard the phrase “life-changing money”. It is used to promote lotteries and casinos, game shows and multi-level marketing opportunities. Companies sometimes use this term to entice high-quality applicants to apply for open positions. The thought of “life-changing money” often drives athletes to train harder in order to make it to the big leagues. It also motivates entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, actors, lawyers, inventors, and many other types of people to stay “in the fight” and keep pushing toward their goals. This same thought inspired thousands of people to head to the western United States in the 1800s to prospect for gold. The idea is to gain such a large sum of money, usually in a short period of time, that it completely transforms your life.
It’s time for a reality check. No amount of money can change your life. All money can do is alter your lifestyle. It cannot truly change your life. To have your life changed, you must go to the Creator and giver of life. Money can change where you live, what you eat, the car you drive, or the clothes you wear. It can affect the things that concern you or keep you up at night. Having money keeps you from hiding from the landlord and stops the bill collectors from calling. All of these things are good, but they are only changes in lifestyle. Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly change your life and make you a “new creature”. If you gain a bunch of money, you are still going to be the same person, only richer. Perhaps this is part of the reason so many of the people who “make it” financially find their life to be empty, without purpose and void of real happiness.
Before you stop reading, please realize that I am not trying to push my beliefs on you. Nor am I telling you this to discourage you from pursuing your goals and reaching for more. In fact, I am the last person who would ever try to stop someone from chasing their dreams. Life feels dull and meaningless without a dream to work toward. You should have a reason and a purpose for living, and pursuing that purpose brings passion and excitement into your life. It is up to you to determine what your goal is, and it doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks that it is a good or worthy goal. The thing about your dream is that it is just that – YOUR dream. It may be different than my dream, and I may not think it is something worth pursuing, but that isn’t important. It’s your dream, not mine, and it is up to you to pursue that dream. Even if your dream is to lead a crime syndicate or to engage in some illegal behavior, chasing your dream will bring energy and passion into your life. (We’ll have a discussion about consequences at a later time.) My goal here is to help you understand the difference between a changed life and a changed lifestyle.
Why is it important to understand the difference between an altered lifestyle and a changed life? Well, it is mainly so that you can better enjoy the life you live. I want everyone to feel as if they are living a wonderful life. That can only come if you have the proper expectations. If you passionately pursue your goals thinking that you will be a totally different person, with different emotions and ways of thinking, then you will always be disappointed and feel like a failure. However, if you go after your dream knowing that it will bring you a different lifestyle, then you can experience that sense of satisfaction that only comes from working hard and reaching your goals. That’s because you cannot change who you are; you cannot change your life. You need to have the right expectations in order to experience a real feeling of accomplishment. Let me give you an example:
There were two young women who were unhappy with their body. Neither was in great physical shape, and they were a little overweight. Each felt like she didn’t really fit in with the popular crowd. They each set a goal to lose weight. One woman went into it thinking that she would be more popular and could enjoy life more if she was thinner. The other woman wanted to feel healthier and be able to perform tasks without getting so out of breath. Both women went on a strict diet and started an exercise program. Through hard work and determination, both of them exceeded their weight-loss goal and vastly improved their physical condition. A year later, the first woman was still unhappy with her life and felt empty inside. The second woman, however, was enjoying each day and had an active social life.
Since both women in the example above set and achieved their goals, why was one happy and the other feeling depressed? It is because one thought she was changing her life, while the other knew she was changing her lifestyle. The first woman put all her efforts into reaching her goals without focusing on anything (or anyone) else. Once her goals were achieved, she expected to be a different person. When she realized she was still the same person, only thinner, she became depressed because her expectations were not met. However, the second woman developed a lifestyle that was in line with her goal of losing weight. She changed her daily habits, developed relationships with people who could help her reach her goal, and offered her support to others as they pursued their goals. When she reached her target weight, she was enjoying an active lifestyle and was part of a community of goal-seekers. She had a completely different lifestyle, which allowed her to enjoy the benefits of reaching her goal.
The title of this article talks about life-changing money. I chose this title for two reasons. The first is because money grabs people’s attention. I knew that such a title would arouse people’s curiosity and make them want to read the article. You’re reading this, so it must have worked (LOL)! The other, more serious, reason is because so many people set their goals around finances. They want to buy a house, get out of debt, travel the world, have a yacht, or any number of other things that revolve around money. There is nothing wrong with those kinds of goals, and if you are someone with such goals I support your pursuit of them. My intention here is to make sure you go after your dreams with the proper expectations so that you will be fulfilled, rather than disappointed, when you achieve your goals.
When you are thinking about your goals and Reason, understand that it’s about the lifestyle you want to live rather than the person you want to be. Time and space will not permit me to get into a full discussion about the importance of this distinction, or how such a focus will likely lead to a life-changing experience as well. Hopefully, my weight-loss example above helps you to understand why I am suggesting this approach to goal-setting. Suffice it to say that I want you to live a full, rich life where you completely enjoy the fruits of your labor. It would be a shame for you to work so hard and come out feeling empty in the end. Go out and achieve the lifestyle you dream about, and love every minute of it!
FYR Presentations 