It’s hard to believe but what I’m sharing with you today I wrote 15 years ago when I taught the Conflict Anger Lifelong Management (CALM) class at Valley State Prison for Women. Many of the concepts shared with the inmates as they finished the six week course apply to anyone that is willing to make positive changes in their life. After sharing this poem with you I’ll highlight a few key verses.
CALM 2 Farewell
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. What you have learned will serve you well. The more you apply what you have learned the easier it will become. You must persist and never quit! As you apply the strategies and apply the tools that you have learned in CALM 2 remember it’s up to you and you alone to work the process and continue to grow one step at a time.
As you grow you will become the person you were meant to be. Remember you are here for a purpose you must look inside. When you find your true purpose for being here you will know. Your life will never be the same. Life is continual change you must change and adapt to the changes in your life.
The better you learn to do this the easier life will flow for you. Remember you will have challenges in your life. With patience and good decisions you will overcome any challenges you face. You must continue to fight for what you truly believe and never quit. Life is what you make it. The more dreaming, planning, and goal setting you do the the more you will achieve.
You must never quit and continue to fight the good fight. Hold true to your dreams, but don’t forget you must act. You must be a doer-get it done! Your life will never be the same. It all starts with a thought. Your thoughts will lead you in a direction that will act according to your thoughts.
You can control you thoughts – the more you meditate on what is good, pure, loving, the more your thoughts will influence your thinking. Remember that your thought influences how you feel. You can make yourself happy or sad by controlling your thoughts. The choice is yours you decide what your day will be like.
Don’t let others push your remote control. It’s your response to outside influences that have the power to control. If you truly want a better life you must goi after it with hard work, dedication, and a spirit that says: “I must never give up.” Don’t forget the spiritual component in this process of change. There is a higher power you can call on. This power will respond when you call on it with true faith. He will not let you down.
Be patient with yourself it will take time to make the changes you want. But if you truly want to make changes, you can do it! Work the process one step at a time, one day at a time. This process will continue for the rest of your life. If you do it, it will be you who leaves the ring victorious. There is a price to pay. It’s called hard work. Are you up to the task? You now have the tools. The rest is up to you. Take this first step, I DARE YOU!
That’s it, that’s the poem I shared wit my students. It is important to recognize that today is the only day that is guaranteed. No one knows what the future has in store for each one of us. That’s is why no matter what get into the habit of persisting and to never give up. Also remember that you have an over-riding purpose and it’s imperative that you find it.
It’s important to recognize that life is about continual change. You must adapt and adjust to the changes occurring in you life. With patience and good decision making you’ll overcome any changes you face. Great achievers all learned to plan, set goals, and most importantly all had dreams to inspire them. You must also act, nothing happens without action.
Our thoughts are the lifeblood of how much we actually accomplish. It’s imperative that our thoughts support our goals and dreams. You will possibly get negative comments from those closest to you. They must be ignored in order for you to stay focused and to work a process allowing you to achieve your dream. It will take hard work and super dedication, but that’s the price successful individual must pay. Until the next time may joy and peace abundantly come your way. Carbie
The One-Minute Prisoner 