Embrace change for the positives you will gain

Oct. 18, 2016
The No. 1 reason people resist change is because they are more concerned about what they have to give up, rather than committed to what they will gain.

The No. 1 reason people resist change is because they are more concerned about what they have to give up, rather than committed to what they will gain.

I believe that change is inevitable; however, growth is optional. I have observed so many people working very hard to maintain the way things have always been done. I have observed people yearning for the “good old days.” I have watched people destroy professional and personal relationships because they refused to change who they were. I have often heard people say, “This is who I am.” That, my friends, is not the truth; this is who you choose to be. You did not come into the world with a hardwire or a program that says “this is who I am” or “this is all I am capable of achieving.” Those who believe that also believe there is no need to make any effort to change because it is impossible.

If who you have chosen to be up until now is not going to allow you to be successful in who you are choosing to become, then you will have to change who you are. If what is possible for you is being boxed in and limited by your belief system, then you will need to change your belief system in order to get to where you want to go. It does not matter what you believe; in order to best your best, increase your capacity and get to your next level, some measure of change will be needed. The same mind that got you to where you are will not propel you to higher heights.

If you still use antiquated processes to do business; if you still assess the value of people based on their gender, race or formal education; and/or if you still choose to stay inside your comfort zone, you will likely never reach your full potential. Everything has a life cycle, and when it reaches the end of its life cycle it begins to die. You may be holding on to some dead stuff, such as behaviors, processes, relationships at work and home and belief systems, that will not benefit you in besting your best or getting to your next level of professional or personal growth.

Change is inevitable; it is occurring every second of the day. Many of you think change is a bad word. I submit that it is not a bad word. I submit that it is inevitable and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. So why not embrace change?

Here are five ways I recommend that you embrace change.

Eliminate your expectations of others.
I encourage you to have high expectations of yourself. However, if you have high expectations of your team at work, your family or your marriage, I can promise you that you have experienced a lot of disappointment in your life. I can clearly show you that you are not all playing by the same rules even though in many cases you think you are. Unless you have gained an agreement from them to deliver something specific, then you are managing your expectations and you will experience loss, disappointment and pain.

Welcome change.
Change is inevitable; it is going to occur. I was just having a conversation with my wife, Susan, a few days ago about how drastically an event can completely change the course of our lives. These are often things we have no control over — people flying airplanes into buildings and killing hundreds of people; a down economy that eliminates thousands of jobs; a friend or family member suddenly lost in an accident; a divorce or the loss of a long-term relationship. When we accept that change is inevitable, we will welcome and embrace change and release our attachment that something should or should not have turned out in a particular way.

Accept change.
Everything that you resist persists. The sooner you stop attempting to hold on to that job, those business practices, the sooner you stop holding on to something or somebody in a relationship that has long expired, the sooner you can get on with living your life.

Learn from the experience.
If you accept and embrace change, you will start looking for and finding the lessons in it. The more you resist it, you will continue to have the disappointing, hurtful, painful experience until you learn from the experience. Change becomes your greatest teacher, only if you give yourself permission to learn from it.

Recognize you’re growing stronger.
When you accept, embrace and learn from change, you inevitably grow stronger. The ability to continuously accept change allows you to become as solid as a rock in the midst of violent storms all around you — even if you feel afraid.

So remember, change is inevitable; however, growth is optional. When you choose to grow, you will likely find that the things you gain are worth much more than the things you gave up. Now, what are you waiting for?

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