Recently a girlfriend of mine said she was almost ready to leave her very well paid but heavy scheduled job. The long hours and daily 3 hour journey time was killing her spirit and social life.
Over the holidays she had researched a new opportunity for herself, something quite different with local travel and good pay. She was excited but hesitant.
She gave it considered thought and discussed it with trusted colleagues – but still the change was becoming more scary.
I asked her what would she gain in the new work environment and she reeled off an enthusiastic list of benefits.
Viola! I said it is all about asking excellent questions and learning How To Be Positive About Change.
-If we don’t change we don’t grow and if we don’t grow we aren’t really living – Gail Sheehy
We are wired to be hesitant and sometimes negative about change in our lives. The assumption is change is bad, don’t rock the boat stay where you are.
The most common reasons to resist change are:
Loss of control – fear of the unknown and what will or could happen – loss of status or loss of face.
But you could also put a positive spin on them and focus on the benefits, the challenges and new opportunities.
Regard it as a departure from the past and stepping into a new environment that encourages you to shine in a different light.
Question the unknown – Communicate your thoughts & opinions – start to accept – take action steps to learn more.
Believe you can learn How To Be Positive About Change.
Returning to the conversation above with my friend, who was uncertain and indecisive about changing her profession. She kept referring to what she would miss. What she would no longer have or be able to do.
I told her that she will never lose any of the skills she has. That she is actually bringing all of them with her to the next job, the next phase of her work life.
And, how much people will appreciate those assets. Now I am not staying that a conversation can take away your fear – only you can do that – I don’t control your thinking!
But the encouragement – the positive spin can! And, all of us can learn How To Be Positive About Change.
-Change is inevitable – Change is constant – Benjamin Disraeli
Throughout my time working on many different stages as a musician, spoken word artist and speaker, I had to be flexible about the changes that musical and theatre directors wanted from me.
As an MC there were always last minute details to the line-up and cancellations which meant I had to be flexible and ready for any kind of modification.
I had to keep on my toes and be adaptable to the situation and of course – keep cool, calm and professional too. And you can do it too!
You can learn to boost your self-confidence and trust in your instincts and then make those important changes in your life.
Jump on over to my Work With Me page and discover more about how you can adapt to change by developing your 3 Big C’s – Confidence – Courage & Creativity.
Remember – You can do it!
“The only thing permanent is change” Heraclitus.
The continuation of life is only possible through endless changes. It is true, being positive about changes could be the first step to influence those changes through our 3 Big C’s – Confidence – Courage & Creativity. Healthy, good intentions and focused work can turn those changes in the right direction. I´m sure anybody who reads your lines will notice definite change in his/her attitude to the phenomenon of transformation. Bravo, excellent writing!
Thank you for that excellent point of view on this topic of positive change. 🙂
Embracing change is a must for our self-development. If we don’t, we stay stagnant and this benefits no-one. Great blog post!
Thanks Colette for your wise words – it is about embracing change and finding the best in your new situations – and focusing on solutions rather than problems 🙂