I was talking last week with a Fortune 100 company executive. He spent much of our call telling me how hard life is for him. 

I recapped our conversation at the end of the call by sharing the following:

This is what he told me:

• His life is hard.
• He has a lot of problems.
• The cards are stacked against him.
• His company doesn’t appreciate him.

This is what I heard and know:

• His life can be easier and better.
• He created most of his problems. 
• He’s the dealer. He needs to learn to deal himself better cards.
• Chances are he isn’t giving the company enough good work to appreciate him. 

I finished the recap by saying, “Life can be hard, and you make the choices in The Day that makes it easier or harder. It’s not what life does to you. It’s what you do in life that writes the story and determines the outcome.”

He hung up. After he signed up for my leadership coaching program. His willingness to move forward and improve himself was his first winning hand. Life is going to be a lot easier for him.

What cards are you dealing and playing?