How To Change Your Stars

If you know me well, you know that I love rom-coms. One of my favorites is a classic from 2001, A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger as William Thatcher and eventually taking on the role Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein. 

In the movie an exchange between himself and his father is often quoted, and quite frankly it is one of the best quotes I have ever encountered. 

A young William looks to his father and says “Can it be done father, can a man change his stars?” His father John Thatcher confidently replies “Yes William. If he believes enough, a man can do anything.”

That inspiration and “changing his stars” is the major theme of the film. Obviously jousting in tournaments and knighthood are no longer major players in society, but opportunity for change is there for anyone looking for it. To do it you have to recognize and find your “Why”, and then be willing to make hard choices to change daily patterns to shift your future and write the book of your life with intention. 

A common theme of “feeling stuck” is one that will resonate with anyone you speak with. At some point in time during life we have all become stuck, and at that point you feel completely vulnerable–a victim of your circumstance. 

Vulnerability I would argue is a good trait. One that shows openness and willingness to show the pages of your book to everyone despite the assumed disgust or judgment to follow. 

Almost always when you do, you receive acceptance because we have all faced failure, been stuck, have fears or made decisions we aren’t personally proud of—but all of it is what makes you unique and your “book” worth reading.

Will some look on and judge? Absolutely they will–but those are the same people that will dictate your inability to change your stars. We all want affirmation and confirmation. Those two things quickly and often will dictate your future choices ensuring they are never your own. 

Think about it–how often have you bought that car, dress, watch or sunglasses just so others saw the branding? Imagine what other seemingly small or obscure decisions you make that impact you because of what others may think or say about you. 

I have been a King of bad decisions based on the assumed affect it would have on how others viewed me. I have done all the things to make myself feel as if those that looked on saw greatness. At times it has been achieved on the “cover” of my book. 

What they saw was a broken, fallible shell of a man seeking growth by cutting myself off at the knees constantly. Granted, I have a wonderful watch collection I gained along the way which I truly enjoy. I have a vehicle that I often dreamed of owning as a kid and love the way it drives in the corners, not just the heads it may possibly turn to my direction. 

The difference has come when I began to appreciate those things for myself alone, and then shifted my focus towards having the best lasting impact that mattered. How could I, and can I make everyone and everything I touch better than it was found at point of contact. 

Along the way hurt and pain was delivered through selfishness. Changing my stars seemed impossible and was improbable for so long. As I shifted that thinking away from self assurance my heart opened deeper than ever expected and the clarity of the path I walked on became clearer than ever. 

We can be on-path but walking in the ditch—I finally woke up and shifted to the sidewalk. 

In the book by Darren Hardy “The Compound Effect” he speaks to small daily changes that lead to massive results. One of my often quoted and favorite stories he alludes to is the Magic Penny. 

In the example he asked, “If you were given a choice between taking $3 million in cash this very instant and a single penny that doubles in value every day for 31 days, which would you choose?”

After 31 days of compounding itself, the penny on day one is $10.7 million dollars on day 31. Absolutely nuts right? Not really when you analyze it. Sometimes the simplest change in tasks will create massive moves over time.

So the simple question here is which would you choose? Surely taking a small fortune now would be awesome for anyone. Invested and planned properly it would go to good use and ensure future generations a safety net if planned out properly. 

The problem is without the patience, discipline and consistency that is shown in the latter of the two options, no amount of money or immediate gain will turn fruitful. Truthfully it would almost always end in disaster for the receiver. 

Your lasting legacy is yours to script and live. It is your life you must sit with daily, sleep with and wake up to. How you change your stars is simple. It starts by recognizing that often the smallest changes in your daily activity will lead to massive change and the effect you leave on others. 

It also takes a selflessness that looks beyond what you want others to see and what you actually want to be. There is no wrong answer to who that person or story will become, but the sooner you realize that the answer is yes, a person can change their stars, the sooner your life and heart will be filled with the completeness you desire leaving the legacy the world deserves to see.