‘Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by CHANGE.’

‘Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by CHANGE.’

She turned her mobile phone off and sighed. If she saw one more of these ‘life affirming’ uplifting motivational quotes on Facebook she may just have to scream. How many times could you create these pieces of sugary drivel just by changing a letter.

‘Learn to give to learn to live,’ she mused. Not bad for an instant thought.

‘Live life to the full, take no one’s bull.’ Not as good but it still worked.

‘It’s others fears that bring you tears.’ She wasn’t even sure what that one meant and where in her head it had come from but she wasn’t going to waste any time thinking about it.

‘In every day make room for play.’ Nice.

Her train ground to its final stop and a mutilated voice informed the crushed passengers that they had arrived at their final destination. Squeezing through the soggy coats and umbrellas she fumbled for her railcard.

‘Enjoy your friends before journey’s end.’ OK it wasn’t a single letter but the rhyme still worked.

Sitting at her desk she took a sip of the scalding coffee through the small gap in the plastic lid.

‘Pain I know as I stretch to grow.’ That one was just rubbish and she should be concentrating on her day.

She gathered her files for the first meeting. Another two hours to get through without losing too much more of her soul. There should be quotes that truly reflected real lives she thought.

‘It’s a dull old life so hide the knife.’

She looked across the table to the selection of faces all masking their expressions of world weariness with a smile. Only one person seemed to have any genuine joy in their eyes. What do they know that I don’t she thought.

As the meeting started the ‘smiling eyes’ spoke.

“I just wanted to let you know that I am resigning. I know this will come as a bit of shock but I suddenly realised this morning that I hate this job and it’s no good just sitting here hoping things will get better. Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.”

‘Believe the quote or miss the boat’ she thought quietly to herself