Thirteen years ago I could not have imagined being in the place I am today. Touring Europe on a bike would have been a laughable dream for me, the sedentary obese fifty year old recovering from a heart attack and triple coronary bypass.

Change happens. There is something to be learned from changes in our lives. The challenge is to turn unfortunate circumstances into teaching moments to move forward. On the other end of the spectrum, positive change gives us energy to grow and take on the negative changes. Together the good and bad define who we are and how we live life.

During my career I affected change by what I called “ baby steps”. That means that moving from a to b was not a marathon but a series of casual walks. Each of these walks moved things that much farther down the road.

Transitioning to retirement involves a good bit of change. It has taken some time to understand that work life tools and experiences can be used in retired life. It’s funny that baby steps are important in this stage of life. We must learn to recognize what tools we have to affect the change we desire.

That brings me to today as I share these thoughts on an airplane returning from cycling the Czech Republic. I am happy that I was able to learn from change and become the more fit and happier person I am.I am thankful for so much in my life. I am a spiritual person and know that there is a guiding force leading my way. I have been fortunate over the years to build a community who were instrumental in my change. I also know that I am responsible for harnessing change to better my life.

This seemed like the perfect moment in time to speak about thankfulness and change. The past 12 days have been a phenomenal experience beyond what can be seen in my Facebook and Instagram posts. Many times I wondered how in the hell am I here experiencing a life that I never fathomed.

I hope you know that wherever you are in life that change is possible. It’s up to you to use it to move baby steps forward and not backward. It’s up to you to learn from the good and bad. Just when you do not expect it, you will be overcome with thankfulness as I was on my bike many times during the past two weeks.

Be thankful for all the changes that life brings your way.

Tom Bilcze