One day, while I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom, my toothbrush was suddenly broken into two pieces. Holding the broken piece in my hand, I realized the toothbrush was getting too old to use.
Indeed, this is just a very small detail that a lot of people don't even noticed of the whole picture of life. But through it all I want to share with you the truth that I learn from this experience.
"So, what do I learn from this experience?"
In life, we live by habits -- the habits of thought and actions that shape our life. 90 percent of what we do today are exactly the same as yesterday. And if everything went just like that, we would likely stick with that old lifestyle for the rest of our life.
Except when a certain event occur at a certain point in time that we have to stop to take a look back ourselves -- that we can not live the same way again. Thus we have to explore a new way of living. I noticed that if the toothbrush was not broken, I might forget to replace it with a new one.
Life always has valuable signs inside that we may not see at first -- but remind us to seek change, take risks and live a life God want us to live. If we ignore, the signs will be larger and may become dangerous.
A few years ago, I underwent a serious lung disease. I had to lie still during several weeks and could not talk. Not being able to talk is not a big problem to an introvert like me. But when it happens for weeks, that is another story! And I ponder what had happened that led to this result. That meaned I had ignored several warning signs of my body that led to more severe consequences.
It was a difficult time but, on the positive side, my lifestyle changed after the illness. I pay more attention to the signs, to be on high alert, and go to the doctors when the symptoms start to appear. I'm more interested in nutrition, eating healthy food and living a balanced life.
However, you can significantly reduce the risks if you carefully keep an eye on those small signs of life -- messages that help you become a better you, break your old thinking patterns.
What do these messages look like?
Numerous changes are hidden in detail. That forces you to observe and seek for the truth of things and the inner reality of facts. Because not every day in your life there are major events that occur. Instead, your life will look like this: Some signs are very small until they become big problems. And then you wonder... "Why me?"
So how to recognize them -- signs of future problem?
By constantly observing and listening. You can write a diary every day to see how your life works. Or, you can ask other people about ideas in relation to your lifestyle. Based on that information, you'll know how to bring peace in your life.
A better way is to ask this question, "What result would I get if I continued the way I am living now?"
Back to the toothbrush, obviously I had to use a new one. It turns out, in life, there are many things you have to give up in order to get something better. It may be a job, a lifestyle, a philosophy, an attitude or a relationship... And if you look out the signs of life earlier, things will not be broken!
By Davis Truyen, MBA, Author, Certified Professional Coach
Follow Davis Truyen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nguyentruyen