Change is Good ... You Go First

“If nothing ever changed – there would be no butterflies.” – Unknown

“Never be afraid of change. You might lose something good; but you might also gain something even better.” – Unknown

“One reason we resist change is because we focus on what we have to give up instead of what we have to gain.” – Unknown

Years ago, when Martha Stewart was in the middle of her rise to fame, she was famous for making a statement about something and then saying; “it’s a good thing.” I wonder what she would say about embracing change?

Let’s face it: embracing change, especially the unexpected or surprising variety, is no fun. Even in the case of making proactive, intentional changes; we can be guilty of wanting to see others take the first step. But personal confidence and maturity cannot be gained by living vicariously through others. Whether it is intentionally building a good habit or responding, with a good attitude, to an unplanned change – we should go first!

Everyone likes staying in his or her comfort zone. After all, they call it a “comfort” zone for a reason. The truth is, change happens to us all—it’s simply a part of life. And while some changes are undeniably good, we’re often faced with disruptions that do not initially feel welcome.

The good news is that embracing change is not a difficult skill to learn. And once we start looking at change as a good thing, we can be amazed at some of the benefits that can follow. Here are several positive reasons why embracing change can be a very good habit to adopt:

GROWTH - Change can help us grow. Changes often force us to adapt in ways we’ve never experienced, which can be a major driver of personal and professional development, maturity, and wisdom.

FLEXIBILITY - Change can teach us to be more flexible. It is important for us to think of some changes as something that gets us out of our rut. By embracing change and meeting it head-on with excitement, we can learn not to be so set in our ways—which can help us maintain a more positive attitude. A more broad and unselfish perspective is important!

VALUES & BELIEFS - Change might challenge our values and beliefs – in a good way. Reacting to change often involves re-evaluating our belief system. That’s not a bad thing—even if we happen to be devoutly religious. If we’re open to learning new ways of thinking and approaching problems from another’s shoes, we may learn something that actually deepens our personal faith-walk.

STRENGTHS – As mentioned above, change can serve to reveal and verify our strengths. Without being forced to accept changes, we might never learn the true measure of our own strength—including our ability to adapt in new and interesting ways.

EMPATHY & COMPASSION - Change can also make us more empathetic and compassionate. These are key ingredients for having a personal influence with people. When we become “too comfortable” in our own situation, it can be much more difficult to understand what others might be going through. Change reminds us to be kind when we’re considering the choices other people may make.

NEW ROUTINES - Change can break old routines. Some routines, like brushing and flossing our teeth, are good to maintain. But other routines can leave us in a rut—and possibly even contribute to depression and stress. By breaking up our routine, change keeps our mind active, refocusing our thoughts toward a positive and productive perspective.

OPPORTUNITIES - Changes sometimes offer new and exciting opportunities. By altering the way we live our lives, even in a small way, change can present opportunities that can have a domino effect, providing us with more good options than we ever dreamed. This can lead us toward creating a more fulfilling and authentic life that allows us to really flourish.

Certainly, like any new habit, embracing change takes some practice. We encourage you to reflect on and refer to this list the next time you’re presented with a change that seems a little intimidating. Use this list as a reminder of all the positive impacts that any change could provide in your own life as well as on the lives of those around you.

REMEMBER: Change is good -> you go first! The best is yet to come!!

Not sure where to start? Let us help!

Your DREAM4 Team