A few weeks ago I was traveling from here to there, listening to the car radio when I heard something that caught my ear.

Sarah Blakely, the founder of SPANX, was being interviewed about why she started her business.

SPANX, for those who haven’t struggled with wanting to look better in a pair of pants, is a billion-dollar manufacturer of undergarments that give women a more streamlined silhouette.

Blakely explained that before starting her company she spent seven miserable years selling fax machines door to door. And then she said:

“I realized that this was not my movie.”

It was the perfect one-sentence way to say that she didn’t want selling fax machines to become her life story. So, she decided to pursue her idea for a new product and, after a lot of hard work, Blakely became the youngest self-made billionaire.

The money she made isn’t the only important part of her story, (although becoming a billionaire at 41 is amazing).

Blakely admitted that she tried and failed many times before finding her way to success. She wanted to become a lawyer but failed the law school admission test twice. She tried to work at Disney World as Goofy, but was too short to wear the costume.

“I realized that this was not my movie.” She didn’t know what her life story would become, but she knew she needed to make some changes to arrive at a better destination.

It made me realize how important it is to change whatever isn’t working in our all-too-short time here on the planet. Whether it’s a job or another aspect of life, we all know folks whose movie might need editing. And while some obstacles can’t be changed, looking at it through a different lens might help. 

Making a needed change can open the door to new opportunities. According to Psychology Today, there are tools that can help us become unstuck. They include letting go of the past, listening to your inner voice and understanding what makes you feel alive.

With a beautiful setting like Maine, an amazing cast of family and friends, and a plot that can vary from comedy to tragedy to romance, we all get to create our own story. So the question is:  Is this your movie?