If you want to change your life, you don’t need a grand plan.

A collection of self-help books to read every day.

Or a fancy life coach to motivate you each week.

You only need to keep two words in the back of your mind.

These two words changed my life. They helped me:

• Write, illustrate, and self-publish a book (with no formal training).
• Start a new pet loss business (even though I’m “just” an anxiety therapist)
• Join a gym (and actually go!)
• Travel to places I’ve always wanted to visit (even though I hate flying)
• Grow a garden full of flowers (from my Brooklyn apartment)
• Learn some of my favorite songs on the guitar (at the ripe old age of 40!)
• Squeeze out every drop of sweetness that I can from each day

And if you can carry these words with you, after hearing the story behind them, I truly believe they can change your life too.

The Story Behind The Two Words

A few months after my cat Squiggles died, a childhood friend of mine also died of cancer. She was diagnosed in February of 2023, and by the end of July, she was gone.

This friend was 38-years-old. We grew up 3 houses away from each other. Every happy childhood memory I have, from riding bikes around the neighborhood, to going trick or treating on Halloween, has her bright red hair flashing in the corner of my mind. 

Attending her funeral felt surreal. Thinking about it now still feels surreal.

But her husband shared two words in his eulogy that have stuck with me every day since. It was, hands down, the most powerful speech I’ve ever heard in my entire life. 

He talked about how they thought they had years ahead of them – to travel together, attend family Christmases, swim in the ocean, enjoy chocolate chip cookies, go on walks with their dog. 

But that time was cut way too short. 

So he pleaded with us to honor his wife by remembering these two words:

“Don’t Wait.” 

Putting These Words Into Practice

These two words didn’t push me to quit my job overnight, move to Thailand, or burn everything down to make some kind of huge, dramatic life change.

It was more the little moments: like sending the scary email, taking the time to plant the sunflower seeds, stepping outside to go for the run, or getting up to give my husband a hug.

Over time, those small moments started to compound. And have wholeheartedly changed my life.

A perfect example is my book.

I sat on this story for years. Waiting until I had the motivation to bring it to life.

But after hearing this speech, I told myself “don’t wait.”

Instead of finding an illustrator or an agent to help me publish it, I pulled out my iPad and started drawing the images myself.

“don’t wait.”

Focused on one tiny part of a page at a time.

“don’t wait.”

Doubt would creep in because I have no training. Should I wait until I’m good enough?

“don’t wait.”

Putting it on Kickstarter felt so vulnerable. I wanted to crawl under the covers and hide. What if it fails?!

“don’t wait.”

Two years later, after waking up every day with those words in my head, I was able to finish my book. To honor Squiggles. To honor my friend. And to honor myself and the one wild and precious life I have. That I hope I’ll get to enjoy for a long time.

But none of us know how much time we have left.

So if you want to change your life, stop googling and start doing.

Remind yourself every day:

“Don’t Wait.”

If there is anyone in your life who needs to hear these words, please feel free to send this article to them.

And invite you to share below – what is something that you don’t want to wait to do? Writing it out can help you commit to it. I’m rooting for you!