If you suspect you may one day look back on your job or relationship and realize they suck, it’s probably a good idea to think about changing things. If you suspect you may one day look back on your life and realize it sucks, it’s definitely a good idea to think about changing things. Changing your whole life for the better can obviously seem like an impossible task. It can be hard to even know where to begin. The only way to approach this task is by thinking small, thinking only of now. If you think you’re going to look back on this particular day, or this particular moment, in the future and think it sucked, what small thing could you do right now to change that? Go for a long walk with no destination in mind? Drink a large chocolate milkshake? Stop reading this book?! I don’t have the answers to those questions. What I do know is that no matter how many books you read, how many talks you listen to, or how many amazing and wonderful people give you advice, the one person that has the power to change things for you, is you. This can be hard to believe, when faced with the sheer number of things in life outside our control. This is why so many people end up living lives they never wanted. It is easy to lose focus on those things we can control, and become overwhelmed by those things we cannot. The things within your control no doubt seem quite small; what you wear, what you eat for lunch, how long you spend gazing into your phone. The things outside of your control likely seem huge in comparison. That is why you should (and can) only focus on the first list. It is impossible for you to affect the events in the news, natural disasters, or the actions of an unhinged president. The Serenity Prayer famously asks for the courage to change what must be altered, and the serenity to accept what cannot be helped. Accepting a life you cannot control does require serenity, but actually taking control of your life needs courage. You have to be brave. You are the only person who will ever have the power to change your life. It is what you do with that knowledge that matters.