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Change is Good
by Sandra Lee Schubert
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Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix. --Christina Baldwin
Hold on things are about to change. I mean it. The world is moving so fast--today cannot guarantee tomorrow. It is like a roller coaster at the local fair, you think you know what the ride will bring, but then you get on and it takes you for the ride of
your life.
There is both fear and excitement in change but it depends how it happens. If you have been working hard in school and finally graduate then that is a fun kind of excitement.
But if you are a hard worker and discover that your carefully crafted career trajectory has been sidelined by a layoff; then that is something that is going to inspire fear.
No matter how carefully you plan change the results can be unexpected. You don’t anticipate the effect a new baby will have on your marriage. A new job eats up more time then you thought. A new health routine uncovers an unknown serious health risk.
The evening news bears witness to the shifts and tumult of the world. Change is a tide we can’t hold back as it crashes onto the shore and breaks us. Even as we seek to define ourselves by the decisions we make our world can be uprooted by sudden and
unexpected change.
What can we do?
Turbulence is life force. It is opportunity. Let's love turbulence and use it for change. --Ramsay Clark
I have a friend who is an environmentalist. He talks about the destructive force of forest fires. Anyone who has been in the middle of a fire knows it wipes out everything in its path. But as my friend points out, it also becomes an agent for change;
allowing for new growth to come in and repopulate the forest bringing new growth where before none was possible.
Choose to accept it.
When change becomes a force that is beyond your control then step back and accept it. If a fire is barreling down on you, then maybe the best then to do is get the heck out of the way. There are life events that are beyond our control, whether it’s the
loss of a job, a sudden death, weather or political upheaval. The results may be causing us to become angry, sad, hurt, victimized or all of the above. We can’t always control circumstances but eventually we can control or reactions to events.
Don’t deny your initial reaction to unexpected change. Feelings of fear or anger at loss of any kind are perfectly natural. But sometimes the path to true change is to accept the thing life has handed us. I will be the first to admit it is not an easy
thing to do.
First, accept the part of change that is good. An unexpected windfall gives you added resources to live a better life. A new marriage means a larger house and family. The loss of a job paves the way for a career change or the opportunity to take on a
larger project like the book you wanted to write but didn’t have time. Change can bring initial trepidation but it can also be full of value.
For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change. Ingrid Bengis
Reject it.
You can flat out reject the circumstances life has handed you. A boss says your job is terminated- find out if you can take additional classes and more responsibility in another area of the company. When the news says the economy is dead- find ways to
create a micro-economy. Look of multiple streams of smaller income. As example, dog walk for the people in your neighborhood who are still working. Create social media platforms for smaller local businesses that do not have the time to take on the projects for themselves.
If you get a bad health warning then take your health into your own hands. Do research and find out ways to create a better lifestyle. There are life changes that come your way that can be negotiated, rearranged or done differently. Accept what you can’t
change, reject change that can be done differently.
Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. --William James (1842 - 1910)
Become the victor, not the victim.
Unemployment may be at a high, jobs are few and the prospects are bleak but reject the notion of wallowing and decide to take action on your behalf.
Join the local Chamber of Commerce and find out what they need and set up a business up to fill that need. Get out of the house- attend meetups, networking events or sip a slow beer in a nice bar and meet some people. Repurpose lemons to make lemonade.
Use circumstances as the catalyst for positive change. Turn it into a wonderful opportunity.
If you are unemployed take advantage of retraining opportunities. Downsize an oversized lifestyle and create the simpler one you have longed to have.
Life moves on whether we want it to or not. Accept what you can. Reject what you don’t have to accept and become the victor of your life one change at a time.
© Copyright 2009 Sandra Lee Schubert. All Rights
Reserved.
Sandra Lee Schubert is a radio show host, producer, writer & social media coach, leading people to be their creative best thru telling stories. She co-facilitates the Wild Angels Poets and Writers Group at the
historic Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Her e-course, Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own leads people to use journaling and other techniques to create their stories. Listen to her show online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sandraleeschubert
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