A few years ago I was teaching in the Ukraine, and I had lunch with a pastor and his family after services. It was always a special time. Unfortunately for me, my Russian was marginal at best. So, I always traveled with interpreters. If not, I would probably still be wondering around the countryside trying to get back to my instructor apartment.
Annie Budarina was my interpreter on this particular day. Annie had been my 
student the year before, and it was wonderful having her as my interpreter on this adventure. She's a good friend to this day. During lunch, our host served each of us a piece of meat. I looked at the meat and realized I had no idea what it was. I could not figure out what I was about to eat, so I leaned over and asked Annie, "What kind of meat is this?"
Annie, in her simple and typical way, said, "It's just meat!" Hmmm, what does that mean? Just meat? I still didn't know what I was about to eat, but in an effort to not insult my host, I ate it. What was it? I still have no idea.
Sometimes, life is just meat. It's unrecognizable, jumbled and messy. Other times it's caviar, steak and mashed potatoes. It can change in a second, and revert back just as quick. If your life isn't what you expected, you can do what they do in Florida as it relates to the weather and wait a minute, because it will change. Or, you can take the bull by the horns and change it.
Life is full of second chances, new opportunities and options. If you don't like 
your life, stop and ask yourself, "What can I change?" If you said, "Nothing," you didn't really take a serious look. My life took a radical shift in my early 20s, and it has never been the same. That change started with a choice.
I've made course corrections, and I've taken different paths, but the ability to be successful or not has always rested with me. Change is inevitable, but the change you want is your choice. You can eat "just meat" for the rest of your life, or you can eat steak. The choice is yours. Nobody makes those kinds of choices for you. You make them.
If you want to be a better Realtor, what will that entail? If you want to be a better parent, what change will you make? If you want to be a better citizen, does that mean getting involved in your community or further? If you want to be a better friend, how will you go about that? You can have a "just meat" existence and accept whatever comes at you, or you can have the life you want if you are willing to pursue it.
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