Yes, I’ve made it a goal to show that anything is possible with a little determination, planning, and faith.  One such thing for me is meeting ‘The Rock’, Dwayne Johnson.  My first article about this can be read here.  My next step is to have a knowledge about his life such that I can talk very intelligently about who he is, what he has done in his life, and the success he has had.  As such, let me share my knowledge and interpretation of The Rock’s life.

Family

The Rock’s mom is Ata Maivia and his father is Wayde Bowles (whose wrestling name was ‘Soulman’ Rocky Johnson).  His father is African-Canadian and his mother is Samoan.  The Rock’s father formerly wrestled in the WWF (now the WWE).  I have yet to find any information about The Rock’s brothers and sisters if he has any.

Early Life

The Rock spent some time in Auckland, New Zealand with hist mother’s family.  During this time, “The Rock was exposed to one of the urban Polynesian cultural strongholds of the Southern Hemisphre” (Source: en.wikipedia.org).  The Rock eventually moved back to the United States and when he was in 11th grade in high school, he started to play football.  His high school was Freedom High School (located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania).  The Rock also did Track and Field in addition to wrestling at his high school.

Thank goodness for sites like Wikipedia for having this information about The Rock available.  However, I am going to have to go book hunting to see if there is more in-depth information about The Rock and to see what more knowledge I can gain about his early life.

Characteristics

The Rock is arguably one of the most charismatic people I have ever seen.  He is in great shape, confident, and sure of himself.  These are the main characteristics that intrigue me about The Rock.  The Rock is determined, capable, and his success is huge.  It is truly a great endeavor to attempt to interview him :)

Failures

The Rock hasn’t always been successful.  He’s had a few setbacks.  He played professional football for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football league.  Unfortunately, The Rock faced  a couple injuries during his college years at the University of Miami, Florida.  He was cut two months into the season playing in the Canadian Football League.  He was broke for many years.  The Rock has also dealt with a divorce from his wife, which was finalized in 2008.  It is important to note that The Rock is human just like the rest of us.  I am sure he’s faced more setbacks than just the few I’ve mentioned here.

Successes

You will notice quickly that The Rock’s list of successes far outweigh his setbacks.  The Rock won a national championship at the University of Miami at Florida for football.  He followed in his father’s footsteps and is arguably one of the most successful WWE wrestlers of all time.  The Rock has written books and now does movies, several of which were very successful.

I won’t go into the details about each success, you can go to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rock_(entertainer)

to read all about his life.  The main thing is that he’s sure of himself.  When he sets out to do something, he makes it happen.

Final Thoughts

I have a better understanding of the overall person that The Rock is now.  I am going to take this and start moving forward into more detail about the specific things that have happened in his life, books he’s written, and the movies he’s been a part of, and what his life is currently like.  This should give me an idea of where I can start in order to figure out how much free time The Rock has and to gather more details to increase my knowledge.

Sources

I can thank http://www.wikipedia.org for the information I was able to gather about The Rock. 

I recently returned from a trip along the Oregon coast with my wife’s side of the family.  I’d like to recount this trip along with some of the things we did as well as some neat things I learned.

Camping Sites

• Cape Lookout State Park
• Nehalem Bay State Park
• Valley of the Rogue

Places Visited

• Tillamook Cheese Factory
• Air Museum
• Oregon Coast Aquarium
• Oregon Vortex
• Crater Lake
• Beaches

Things Learned About Successful People

In talking with my brother in law, Jeff, we agreed that highly successful people are talented, smart, charismatic, and lucky.  It takes a string of events favoring an individual to truly propel them into what is mainstream success for a profession.  However, success can be garnered without a string of lucky events.  Creating something of high quality and value for other people and being persistent and determined are the main ingredients for success.

Visiting Nature

Taking a break from sitting at my computer to visiting nature was a very good idea.  I loved to sit in the forest and look at the trees, or sit around the campfire and stare into the flames.  All of this was helpful in taking my mind of my busy life.

Quality Time With My Wife

This trip was a time to spend quality time with my wife and her family.  We were able to make memories together through video and pictures.  This is something that is very important to her.  I’ve realized that I need to take more trips with my wife and family to further our relationship together.

Recap

The trip was wonderful and tiring.  I learned that trips together with family are a good chance to make memories and help bring the family closer together.  All in all, a good trip and I am glad to be back home and am ready to go to work :)

From My Wife’s Point of View

My wonderful wife and I have a family blog where she speaks from the perspective of our tiny toddler Ellie.  I am posting what she wrote about the trip here as she does such a good job explaining things :)

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Hello hello! We are back in town from our family reunion on the Oregon coast! It was so much fun! But I am glad to be back in my own crib! My schedule got pretty whacked over the last ten days and the last three days I wasn’t feeling well. I cut a new tooth last week, too!

Here is what we did:

Day 1:
Flew to Seattle with my parents. We spent the night at Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jeff’s house.

Day 2:
Drove to Cape Lookout State Park with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Pat, Curtis, mom, dad, and Jager the Australian Shepherd puppy. Grandma Janice, Aunt Jennifer, Madison, and Katelyn drove to Seattle and then drove down with us as well. We were supposed to leave at 10:30am, but who leaves on time for a trip? We left my aunt’s house at 5:30pm and didn’t arrive to the campsite until 11:40pm. We met up with Uncle David, Aunt Vanessa, Courtney, Brandy, Jaden, and Uncle Danny.

Day 3:
What a beautiful day! We hung around our beautiful campsite and strolled along the beach. The sun was shining and the temperature was very nice. This was my first time to see the ocean! The beach was very cool feeling. Aunt Wendy, Uncle Jeff, Milo, and Hunter met us here in the late morning.

Day 4:
We drove into Tillamook and toured through the Tillamook Cheese Factory! We also went to the Air Museum, which is the largest wood hanger in the world! In the evening, mom played Fluffy Bunny with Hunter and Curtis. (The Fluffy Bunny game is where you are asked a series of questions and for each wrong answer you have to put a marshmallow in your mouth and say “I am a fluffy bunny.” You can’t chew until the game is over.) Mom asked questions about me–per Hunter’s suggestion; it was cool to see how much they knew about me! Mom asked questions like when was I born; what was my first Christmas present; what was my birth weight; when did I start to crawl, etc.

Day 5:
We drove to Newport and went through the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Mom and dad got to pet real sharks and stingrays!

Day 6:
We drove to our new campsite at Nehalem Bay State Park. This was also close to the beach. Mom and dad made Pork Stew for dinner in the dutch ovens. This is the day that my fourth bottom tooth broke through my gum!

Day 7:
Mom and dad put me in my swimsuit and headed for the beach. Ha! The wind was so strong that it was pushing us over! Needless to say, I stayed very close to mom and all bundled up. It was still cool to see the water, though. This is the first night that I didn’t sleep well.

Day 8:
We drove to our last destination, Valley of the Rogue State Park. We stopped at the Meares Lookout lighthouse and saw the rocks from the “Goonies” movie! That was pretty cool. We also saw Sealions basking in the sun. The drive took a long time, and so, once again, we had to set up our tent around midnight. I didn’t sleep very well again.

Day 9:
The temperature was so nice and warm! Aunt Wendy, Uncle Jeff, Milo, mom, and dad stayed with me at the campground while everyone else went to Crater Lake. We went to the store and bought some Tylenol and Orajel. I began feeling much better once I got some! Mom and I were able to take a two-hour nap!

Day 10:
Our last day. We went to the Oregon Vortex. This was pretty cool, too. It is an area of naturally occurring visual and perceptual phenomena. After going here, we said good-bye to everyone who wasn’t driving back up to Seattle. We drove to Seattle and then went to bed.

Day 11:
Today! My cousin, Drew, drove us to the airport and we flew home. Our neighbor, Curtis, picked us up and we arrived home at 7:30pm. I have never been so happy to fall asleep in my crib! :D

There are many things in life that we want or that we would like to change.  Maybe you are unhappy with your career, your weight, or the relationships you are having.  Maybe you would like to write a book or start your own business.  There are many people in this situation.  It is a goal of mine to help the many people facing these situatinos and as such, I want to share how you can have the confidence to at least try.

Believe in Yourself

I am amazed at how many people I talk to that say they cannot do something, even if that something is a dream or deep desire of their heart.  This really eats at me.  It as if people purposely shackle themselves with chains and prevent themselves from achieving what they desire.  Don’t let yourself do this.  Listen to yourself.  Are you constantly telling yourself that you cannot do something because you don’t know how?  Are you defeating yourself before you even try?  If you are going to get defeated, let someone else defeat you, not yourself!

I speak about believing in yourself on my website at drjerm.com.  I could write many articles on believing in yourself and I probably will.  Believing in yourself is actually very simple.  Just make the choice that you will believe in yourself, even if you are unsure of your situation.  Then take actions to further your education and knowledge, as well as being proactive in pursuing those things you want the most.  That’s it!  It’s that simple.  If you want to believe in yourself, take these simple steps!

Remove Things That Are In the Way

I mention many of the things that prevent us from achieving what we are capable of on my website.  These include TV, games, laziness, and more.  I know that many people like to come home from work and lounge around.  This is something I’ve talked about many times, but I feel I can never talk about it too much.  The main thing stopping people from being more than just regular day job employees is what they do with their spare time.

Think for a moment about what you spend your time doing.  If you are in front of the TV or playing games on the computer or console most of your time, this should be a clue to you that you need to cut back and start spending time on pursuing your dreams.  Many people I know who are unsatisfied with their pay at their job spend their time not improving their skills or going after their dreams and passions.  Is it any wonder that you wake up the next day with the same job making you unhappy when you are doing nothing about it?

Stay on Course

Once you begin to remove things that are in the way, a long, slow, and steady course must be followed.  You may try many times and fail.  But I guarantee that you will see success over a period of time.  You will start exercising, eating food that is good for you, and getting in relationships with people who seeks to uplift and inspire you.  These simple things are easy to succeed at if you first start improving yourself.

Then you can try more advanced things like pursuing a business opportunity, developing a new skill, or just working on projects that you find interesting.  Over time, you will morph into a powerful and skilled person who is going after their dreams.  It first takes a choice, and once that choice is made, it takes a daily commitment.  My drjerm website is a few months old now and I’ve kept at it.  Some days I do not want to.  Either way, I am putting in a consistent effort and I enjoy what I do, whether I see success or not.

Never Give Up

Once you’ve been trying things for a while, you will have the confidence to try more and more things.  You will stop being concerned about failing.  You will change from a reactive lifestlye to a proactive lifestyle which will allow you to be in control of your own destiny.  The natural course that will occur for you by living like this will produce a better life for you and those you are close to.

Times will get tough, we are never free from challenges or hardships.  We are mortal and live in an imperfect world.  My twin brother and his wife just had a baby and their baby girl has been at a special hospital for the first week.  She has some problems with her digestive system and will always have to deal with this for the rest of her life.  This and other problems affect us.  I has a stomach virus for the past couple days.  It wasn’t pleasent.  But we must move forward no matter the hardship and keep our eyes on what we desire most, regardless of our physical state of being.

Maintain a determination and focus on what you want the most and over time, this will become your normal mindset.  I know this sounds simple.  But many of us have our focus on just getting by each day, getting our pay check, and rinsing and repeating this cycle.  If you truly are looking to better yourself, and have the confidence to at least try, you must change your priorities and start doing some things that are outside your normal routine.  I know you can do it!

Enjoy the Ride

Last but not least, enjoy the journey you have here on earth.  This is a unique opportunity for you to interact with others, to share your talents, and to improve yourself.  Hardships will come.  I had to deal with being ‘burned’ by business partners a couple weeks ago.  I am still dealing with it.  I was very angry and my blog entries previously about it all show that anger.  After a few days I realized being that angry wasn’t going to do any good.  Instead I recognize the situation and am moving forward to try and make things positive.

Nevertheless, I am still going to keep those blog entries because they are important to show that yes, even drjerm can get rattled, but learns from things just like everyone else.  Seek to enjoy your life and the people around you.  If you do not enjoy what you are doing or the people you are around, seek to change your focus and your situations and relationships will in turn change.  I know with effort and faith, you can make things happen and enjoy life!

I received some information on my website about someone who had taken some big steps to overcoming a challenge they were having with eating food and a desire to deal with a job they do not like.  Here is what they said to me, and I quote:

“Thanks to Dr Jerm, I’ve decided to take control of my life. I was
struggling for a good 2-3 months. I couldn’t get enough sugar. The more I ate,
the more I wanted. Even with my lap-band, I was able to down tons of cookies,
shakes, ice cream, brownies, you name it. And I was miserable. It was the
never-ending cycle of my whole life. Eat, get depressed, eat, get depressed. I
woke up in the morning remembering the day before and how awful I ate. I went to
bed at night thinking about how horrible I am and how hopeless I felt. Well,
after a great discussion with Dr Jerm and after I downed 2 huge pieces of cake
with the best Meadow Gold Cookies and Cream ice cream, I decided that was it. I
came home and literally pulled out a garbage bag and started dumping my junk
food into it. I thought I was saving that kind of stuff for my kids, but they
don’t need it either! I threw away all the peanut butter cookies I had made the
day before (I ate 3 in the process of throwing them away!) I threw away all the
Rice Krispy treats, Kit Kats, sugary cereal, Costco cupcakes that we paid $15
for, a box of brand new cookies we bought at Costco, and my favorite creamy Jif
Peanut butter that I can’t get enough of. Today is Sunday so that means I
haven’t had sugar in 4 days. I didn’t think I would be able to make it. I am
hoping to take this momentum and start exercising this week as well. I haven’t
weighed myself, but I’ll have to weigh tomorrow and start posting my weekly
losses. This is so hard and it takes so much self-control.  I also need to take
control of the complete misery and depression I feel every time I get ready for
work and all day long while I’m at work.  I’m hoping Dr Jerm will help me find
my true meaning and solve the root of a lot of my problems, which is my horrible
job.  More to come.”

I am very excited to see that I’ve had a positive effect on this person.  Just look at all the junk food that they have thrown away!  That is terrific to see.  I know that overcoming eating habits that have been formed over a long period of time are extremely difficult to break.  There is no ‘easy’ way to start eating right if you’ve been down the easy track of eating, so it takes a little bit of discomfort and some real willpower.  This person is on just the right track to taking control of their life.

I love to hear stories like this because it helps me realize that what I am doing is making a difference in people’s lives.  I know that I am only one man, but I believe if I am proactive and continually talk about what I do with people that I will continue to reach people and hopefully stir something within them to make some changes.

I know that making changes isn’t easy.  But I wanted to share this particular person’s story with all of you because they have shown immense dedication in overcoming their problems.  To this person, I have the following to say:

It won’t be easy to continue down the path of proper eating.  It takes daily discipline and commitment.  Remember that a colorful plate of food is your friend.  Apples, carrots, walnuts, black beans, salmon, regular oatmeal, eggs, tomatoes, regular yogurt, all natural peanut butter, wheat bread are great foods!  You will even get to a point where an occasional indulgence in something sweet is ok.  But remember the way you felt when you were eating in a way that didn’t make you happy.

When you are craving food, just substitute that craving with doing something proactive.  Either a fun activity or finding something healthy to munch on, like some yogurt or walnuts.  In regards to your job that you do not like, I know that with a bit of planning and thought that you will realize there is more for you to do in the world and I wish you the best of luck as you seek to figure out what this is.

With a little bit of effort and faith, we can all overcome the challenges that plague us.  It comes down to making the choice to do so.  I hope that I am able to stir people to action and I am happy to see that I have affected this person for the better!

( This article is written by Dr. J., my father )

It’s six o’clock in the morning as John’s alarm sounds. John had promised himself and his doctor that he would walk for at least thirty minutes each morning, but the bed is feeling too comfortable this morning, so John turns off the alarm and goes back to sleep.
 

This story and many others like it that we all can relate to are examples of inaction, or its twin sister procrastination, that often thwart the plans, hopes, and destiny of individuals.

As Nathaniel Howe once said, “The way to be nothing is to do nothing.” Of course, we are always doing something. We go here and there, and we do this and that. The question we should keep in mind is this, are our actions moving us closer to our goals and our ultimate destiny?

Why is getting important things done so difficult? Perhaps it is because of all the distractions the world has to offer such as entertainment, sports and recreation, toys, shopping, and the like. Maybe it is because we don’t know what to do first or simply what to do at all. Or maybe it is that we are not motivated enough to get moving now, or are simply just plain lazy.

It is true that the world is full of pleasurable interesting things to do. For many the goal of “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” is life’s only goal. For those with true life-improvement goals, however, the distractions of the world can also be quite powerful. It is so easy to get caught up in the thick of thin things. Recognizing and controlling such distractions and roadblocks is a critical step in achieving our worthy goals. Finding successful strategies that limit, lock, or leave/eliminate these distractions is something that the serious reader is encouraged to go and do.

Setting a goal is a good start at improving one’s life or the world around us. Not knowing what to do to accomplish the goal means that we did not take the time to develop an achievement plan for the goal. Books, magazines, and the Internet contain much discussion about how to set goals and develop action plans. For example, type “SMART Goals” into your favorite search engine. If you are having difficulty deciding what to do to achieve your goal, then a diligent study of these available resources is something to go and do.

Motivation is perhaps the key ingredient in achieving our goals, yet one that is not well understood. Motivation is a psychological concept with no single universally accepted definition which concerns the determinants of intent, effort and tenacity, and the factors that push or pull us as individuals to behave in a particular manner. It involves the complex interaction of our knowledge, thoughts, beliefs and desires, senses, feelings, and sub-conscious programs.

When our goals involve things that we love and are excited to do, motivation is generally not a problem. However most goals are not like that. In fact they can be just the opposite. For example, a person who loves to eat will have a hard time getting motivated to lose weight. For such goals additional motivation must be obtained. For this we must take actions that influence or change the internal items listed above.

Once again the literature is abundant with ideas of things we can do to help increase our motivation. To-do lists, rewards, deadlines, reporting to others, self-talk, and imagining are but a few examples. The great secret, however, to motivation is the same as the great secret to happiness or the great secret to success. It is simply this – service to others. Abraham Lincoln said this, “When I do good, I feel good, when I don’t do good, I don’t feel good.”

Good feelings are positive motivators for other actions that help achieve our goals. In the Bible (Luke 10:25-36) we read about the parable of the Good Samaritan, a response by Jesus to the question – who is my neighbor? Several supposedly good people passed by the robbed and beaten traveler until a Samaritan stopped to help and care for him. “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Hello everyone, as I am writing, I have a special announcement to make.  I am going to show you that regular folks like you and I can do things that are extraordinary.  And by doing so, we shift from the ordinary to the extraordinary.  I realize I need credibility.  I’ve been open and honest about my life, my feelings, challenges I’ve faced, and who I am on my ‘About Me‘ pages both here on my blog and on my website at drjerm.com.  But that is not enough.  To all of you reading my blog, I have a quest that I am now embarking on.  And that quest is this:

I Am Going to Interview ‘The Rock’ Dwayne Johnson and post the interview on my website for all of you to read and watch!

You can click the link to The Rock above to find out who he is.  You can also see examples of him on the Drjerm website for ‘positive energy‘ and ‘staying healthy‘.  The Rock is a terrific example of someone who has the qualities to achieve success in this life.

Take a moment and read what I have written here a few times.  Let it sink in.  This is not some random thing I am doing.  I’ve talked about ‘The Rock’ on drjerm.com on several occasions.  He shows many of the characteristics that I seek to instill in my readers, such as confidence, charisma, enthusiasm, and success in life.  Because of that, I am going to make an interview with him happen.

So you may be asking, how in the blue [expletive] am I going to make this happen?  I am glad if you are asking this, because I am asking this.  I have done no research yet on how to meet The Rock.  But to show that I am smart and understanding enough of the magnitude of the situation, I am able to compile a list of facts, challenges, and questions to tackle this bold undertaking:

• I am smart, intelligent, confident, and focused.
• When do you plan on making this whole meet The Rock thing happen?
• I am not some fan making a website with dreams and wishes of meeting The Rock.  I am someone who is resourceful and smart enough to make it happen.
• Meeting The Rock will be very challenging and difficult, but very worth it.
• The Rock is very busy, it is likely even getting a few hours with him will require a well in advance warning.
• Why would The Rock want to spend his time meeting and talking with me?  He can probably get paid thousands of dollars to meet with those who have money to pay him.
• The Rock likely has agents or public relations people that are the first line of contact for him.
• Where will I interview The Rock?  How will it all get setup and arranged?
• What will be the costs to interview The Rock?  Travel, filming, for his time, food, etc…
• What will I talk to The Rock about when I meet him?
• How will I get the attention of The Rock and get him so he WANTS me to interview him?
• How will I deal with the many challenges and obstacles that will be involved in interviewing The Rock?
• What about fear of not being able to make it happen? (I can already tell you the answer to this one - I am not afraid of failing.  I know I’m talented and smart.  I know I’ve got a good shot at this).
• How will interviewing The Rock make a difference?

So we have a list of things here off the top of my head, and there is likely much more to it.  I know that for my goal of using Drjerm.com as resource for me to be a life coach, to inspire and uplift people, and to help people see that they can make their dreams happen, that I need to really start making some things happen for evidence for all of you!

And it is with great excitement, challenge, and intruige, that I announce my undertaking to meet The Rock.  I know that there will be many obstacles.  I have to figure quite a few things out.  It will likely take some time before I make the progress I want to.  I will continue to write and inspire while I work on meeting The Rock.  As I get more details and work through it, I will document every last detail so that you can see from start to finish that I was able to make it happen.

Wish me luck.  As a life coach seeking to help people who are discouraged, not confident, or otherwise depressed, I will show you that with persistence and determination, that you can make your dreams come true!

As things have settled down and I’ve been able to gather emotions, I had a long talk with one of the owners of the company I was let go from.  Since he and I started one of the sub companies, I’ve been given significant stake in that company.  So we’ll see about getting it all legalized.  I’ve decided to give it another shot and turn this all into a positive.  I am done ranting and am glad I can look back and see the various emotions I’ve had through all of this.

I look back and I was really angry about all of this.  And that anger was justified.  However, it’s important not to be too extreme one way or the other.  And as such I realized that being too angry or too fine with it was too far in one direction.  So I’ve decided to get back to middle ground, be reasonable, and make something happen with a choice.

So what do you do, once you’ve had time to reflect on hard times?  I say, keep your head up.  Listen to this song by 2 Pac and stay positive.  Like or hate 2 Pac, he was a talented musician.  I am a big fan of recognizing people of all talents, regardless of what their talent is in.  2 Pac gives a different perspective in this video in troubles he saw in his sphere of the world.

So if you are having a hard time in your life with something, keep your head up.  Recognize what the difficult and challenging things are.  Then take the steps to move forward and make progress in your life.  With a little effort and faith, you will be able to keep moving forward and progressing.

A very interesting thing happened to my blog yesterday.  I notice that my traffic shot up like a rocket.  I’ve since been trying to see why this was and it is because of Oprah Winfrey.  Yesterday (7/1/2008), Oprah aired a rerun episode with Yvette Cade in it.  I wrote an article about Yvette Cade a while back and that article brought in over 150 visitors alone on Google.

So first and foremost, thanks Oprah for the extra traffic to my blog.  I hope the readers of my blog are able to get the information they need and also find other interesting information to read about.  You can click on the categories on the left to see my blog entries.  Or search in the box at the top left.  For those of you wanting to find the story of Yvette Cade on Oprah, you can use the link here.

This got me thinking about the power day time television really has, particularly Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks.  A light bulb went off in my head.  How about expounding on topics that popular talk show hosts talk about and linking to their information?  Seems worth a try to me!  I will give it a shot and we’ll see what happens.  Plus it will give me more to write about.

I wrote about Yvette Cade earlier because her story is truly inspiring.  She is an optimistic and positive woman.  I am proud to have her on my blog.  I know there is much we can all learn from her.  As a woman, set on fire by her estranged and ex husband, Yvette is a survivor.  I am thankful to know her story.

I am meeting with an owner of the company I helped start today.  There will be a lot of negotiating, and I’ve outlined a couple pages of what needs to happen for things to work out.  He seems intent on wanting me to be back and having me take a part of my stake in the company I am a part of.  I believe what I see and as such, I’ve got several demands that will need to be met.

As I’ve thought about handling the situation with the business I was a part of and the up and down roller coaster of stress, frustration, and deep thought, I realize that there are times in our lives where we have to deal with change, and even when we have a decision, be willing to adapt when the situation calls for it.

In my case, I am going to be calm and reasonable as I talk to him today.  I am going to lay out what I want and go from there.  His response will be a big clue to how I can proceed.  For the rest of you reading, there are many things happening in life that play a role in decision making.  My advice is to never think that things are just great.  Always be on the lookout and look for warning signs.

Here are some of the areas where handling change and being adaptable are very important:

• Being married and handling the change that happens to each spouse over time
• Being able to handle the loss of a job
• Being able to handle children as they grow up and change
• Being able to handle other people and your perceptions of their actions
• Managing your health and lifestyle

As life goes on, some of these can slip through the cracks.  Managing health and lifestyle is one I see slip through the cracks quite often.  How do I Know this?  I see many people walking around with big guts and breathing heavy just from walking.  This tells me that health and lifestyle are out the window.

What about handling people who offend you or betray you?  For me, this is difficult, but I realize I can’t get bent into a pretzel about it.  Recognize it, but do what is necessary to move forward and make things happen.

When you have children, they are going to grow up and change over time.  Be supportive and understanding of their change.  Show them love and support and the changes will not be so difficult that they cannot be overcome.

As I am handling the loss of my job, I see others who may face a similar situation.  Do not become complacent at your job and think that everything is fine.  This means gaining new skills, looking for better opportunities, and having the confidence to make it all happen.

Finally, in my marriage, my wife and I have changed over time.  We are not the two young crazy kids we were eight years ago when we were dating.  In marriage, you must expect that change will happen.  You must also be considerate, supportive, and show sacrifice for each other, with emphasis on showing support for each other.  As my wife and I have done this, our marriage has improved over time, rather than degrading like so many marriages I see.

I know that the winds of change happen to all of us.  Take the time to understand what is going on and be confident and kind enough to deal with the change in the most appropriate manner.  I know that if you are always seeking to better yourself and those around you, that the winds of change will not batter you at all.