What if you knew that today was the most important day of your life? What if you knew that something was going to happen today that would be the turning point of your life? What if you knew that one day you would be able to look back at some seemingly insignificant occurrence of today and realize that it was a pivotal point for your entire future? Do you want to know what I believe? I believe that today is that day. Let me explain.

Each day of our life contains decisions and circumstances that, although small at the time, add up to create the total picture. Life’s big decisions and major turning points are all the result of minor decisions and seemingly insignificant events. If a person gets to the end of their life having attained great financial success, more than likely it is not because they won the lottery. It is probably because they knew the importance of saving a little at a time, in order to create wealth at the end of the journey. I think many of us are beginning now to see the wisdom of the older generation who preached that we should save our money for a rainy day and not spend it all as though it were burning a hole in our pocket. They were right! Carrying a load of debt with no thought to saving is not really a good way to plan for the future. Unfortunately, many of us do not learn that lesson until we experience the pain of our poor financial decisions. And, there are other areas as well.

I had lunch not too long ago with a gentleman who said that in the past he had heard that real estate could actually go down in value, but that he really did not understand that concept until recently when the housing market took a dive. You see, his experience helped him to understand his knowledge.

The same thing holds true in relationships. When you get married, you don’t just marry one person. You marry an entire family! The wedding is only a one-day event and then the building of relationships in the entire family continues for the rest of one’s life.

I won’t even go into what a few moments of heated passion can lead to. You see, it seems like an event at the time, but it isn’t long before you realize it is a building block that affects nearly every area of your life.

And, think about our physical health. I will always remember the time one of my daughters told me that we could go buy a dozen hot Krispy Kreme donuts and either eat them or just tape them right up on our hips! Eating foods that aren’t necessarily good for us can seem like an insignificant activity, yet those choices become building blocks which can add inches to our frame and affect our health.

All I am saying is that I wish someone had explained to me early on in life that each day is a building block that helps to create my life. I was not aware that all of the little decisions and things I did, that seemed to be only one-time events, would build upon each other to become the structure of my life. The decisions we make, whether they be spiritual, moral, financial, relational, or social, all seem so innocent on a daily one-time basis, and then one day we wake up to see what they have produced.

As we come to the end of this year and prepare for the next, I trust that you will look at life as a total picture. Let’s construct some great blocks in the future that will build a good life and a greater building because we have realized that the little daily decisions all add up to create the sum total of who we are.

Robert A. Rohm Ph.D.

Often when we think of a coach, we think of an athletic advisor for a sporting event. And, there have certainly been some great coaches who have helped many athletes have a better life because of their influence and direction. In more recent days, however, most of us have heard that a coach can be more than just an athletic advisor. A coach can be someone who gives you guidance in your own personal life and future.

read more »

Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors.