Change The Future of Your Tomorrow
I heard someone once say, “great lives are not made, they are created with intention and focus.” I have never forgotten this, as I believe there is genuine truth in this expression. I believe people are made for much more than they realize. They are made for much more than what they are living into day by day. There is nothing fake about living a life that is filled with family, work, friends, hobbies, and more. If we so chose, we could look for more within our lives, And that is the main ingredient for change. We must choose to change on some level. Are we running towards our purpose, or have we settled in some way?
Change begins when we start to do something differently than we have done before. Change may come in the form of applying for a new job. Change may appear when relationships or friendships end. Change will most definitely come as we age and transition into new aspects of our life.
1. The What
What has led you to consider some positive change in your life? If you are broken down and burned out with your current job, perhaps it is time for a change. A new job or returning to school could be the catalyst towards new direction. As children grow up and move out or move on, space may be created for positive change. In designing a path for positive change, one must consider what has led them to this place. Change can be uncertain or even fearful at times. We are creatures of comfort and rarely like to step outside our comfort zone. When we step outside that comfort zone we may be faced with fear of failure or even fear of success. We may also think, too often, of what others may say or do as we make way towards new change. Carefully consider the what, the catalyst, for change. Then move forward.
2. The Why
Why are you currently considering change in your life? Is there something you have always wanted to do? Perhaps this is your “why.” Maybe losing weight and changing eating patterns is the reason, the why, of wanting to start a journey towards positive change. Considering change, reflecting upon choices, or making a commitment to yourself can empower a person to take the next steps. Sometimes the “why” of change is thrust upon us. The two biggest “why” changes are divorce and death. For most of us, these two life-altering experiences become the focus of our lives. We must create change to cope, to process the pain, and to find new meaning. Finding hope, in the midst of pain, is true courage and will certainly generate new change, and possibly new meaning.
3. The How
When deciding upon change, one of the most motivating reasons is the how. Knowing how the change will positively influence your life is the key to staying motivated. The key to not giving up. The example of losing weight as the “why” now becomes the “how.” How will losing weight and changing diet or lifestyle impact your life? For one, you will be healthier. You will have more energy and possibly a renewed sense of purpose. In deeper regards to life-changing experiences, the how may be more difficult to imagine. In these experiences the “how” is immediate. It may not be what we planned, but we are in the midst of the change. In time, with healing and hope, one can create the how perspective in a softer light, and move towards positive change.
One component of change we often overlook is loss. The cost of the change. With change comes some type of loss. When individuals lose a great deal of weight and change their lifestyle, many times they change as individuals. They become happier, more motivated and the loss is positive. Loss regarding death or divorce can be painful. The loss is simply the loss of someone. The loss of what that has represented in one’s life. Change can also signify the loss of a stressful job where one has become burned out and devalued. So, change has a cost. Either positive or negative. It is what we do with change that makes a difference. We can choose how we react and cope. We can choose how we respond to ourselves in times of need.
Is there something in your life you want to truly transform? The choices we make today, create the future of our tomorrow. What can you do today that you have never imagined before?
