Change It

Word count for this week's article:  443

Approximate time to read:  About 1.8 minutes



Today’s message starts with a quote from Gary Vanerchuk: “Life is awesome because you can change it.” While we intrinsically know this to be true, it can sometimes be easy to forget when life is coming at us from every direction.

There was an article on LinkedIn recently that talked about households with incomes north of $300k living paycheck to paycheck with no contingency plan. I know that sounds incredible to some people, but the fact is it’s not the income that matters, but rather the difference between income and expenses.

A household with $100k of income and $60 k of expenses is better off than one with $300k of income and $300k of expenses. Sure, the $300k household may live a more lavish lifestyle, but it is a very precarious lifestyle.

Oftentimes when I call on someone for an appointment, I am told by the person I called that they have no free cash flow, so don’t waste my time. But life insurance isn’t just another monthly bill, but part of one’s overall financial plan.

I met with such a prospect in 2013. Recently married with a baby on the way, he had no savings and no plan. I asked him where he’d be in 10 years if he continued doing what he was doing. He admitted that it probably wouldn’t be where he wanted to be. He knew change was necessary and was willing to implement some of my suggestions.

Fast forward to 2026. He is maxing out his 401(k) contributions (half regular and half Roth) and the cash value in his life insurance policy is over $65k. No magic. He understood change was necessary and he took action to implement those changes.



Is he the exception, the outlier? Possibly. Change is hard. Not everyone has the discipline to commit to change. Everyone has the potential to change, but not everyone will, even when they know it’s in their best interest to do so.

I was stationed with a guy in the Marine Corps who didn’t drink (shocking, I know). Turned out, both of his parents were alcoholics and he felt that he had the propensity to become one too, so he vowed never to drink. Again, was he the exception, the outlier? Probably, as statistics show that children of alcoholics are more likely to become alcoholics. But, as far as I know, it is impossible to become an alcoholic if you never drink alcohol.

So yes, the power to change is within each of us. It isn’t necessarily easy, but it’s there. And knowing that we have the power to change is one of the many beautiful aspects of life.