Embracing Change
“The best is yet to come.”
How many times have you repeated these words to yourself, or to someone else? How many times have you heard them as a child, teenager, or adult? When you think about the future, do you smile? Do you cringe? Do you avoid the thought? No matter your position, moving forward will require change.
Think for a moment: what is your earliest memory of experiencing change? How has that memory shaped you and your life lens over time? Do you remember any points of resistance? How did you overcome barriers to change?
Question after question can fill your mind just reflecting on the word ‘change’. Reflecting on my own life, there were times I knew change was approaching, and I knew preparation was in order so that the process of change would be smooth. I sometimes found myself having an internal temper-tantrum! Why now? Am I ready? What can I expect? These are a few of the questions I would ask myself. Yet, one day, I had the nerve to look up the definition of the word.
CHANGE - to make someone or something different; to alter or modify. To replace something with something else, especially something of the same kind that is newer, to substitute one thing for another.
Different. Modify. Replace something with something newer. What is it about the word change that constitutes a negative impact in most people’s minds? Change isn’t necessarily bad or wrong. When looking at the definition it does not indicate anything negative. Therefore, the perception of what change represents to an individual is what determines if it is positive or negative.
When I think of change, I think of one of the earliest books that I had the pleasure of reading, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. The book is a short story about two mice and two little people stuck in a maze, in which they were forced to find cheese to survive. Cheese represents anything that is worth going after or whatever a person might value. The book outlined the importance of assessing where you are to detect if change is necessary for your future. It was the perception of the humans versus the mice that really showcased the effects of flowing with or against change.
So, in general what are YOUR current thoughts and feelings about change? If your perception were more positive, or healthier, how would it impact how you navigate your life? Think about it, consider it, decide to try something different, and then DO something different. Congratulations for taking a step toward change.
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
Carefully consider what is before you. Count the cost, weigh the options. Make sure you are fully aware and understand the cost of the decision.
Make a decision regarding what you are willing to do.
Outline what it would take to begin moving in that direction.
Take a step.
Robinette H. Dotson is a licensed mental health therapist practicing in NC and SC through FullScope Counseling Services, PLLC. Through the therapeutic alliance, she works with each client, according to their individual needs and circumstances, assisting them in strengthening their internal core for better life navigation and fulfillment.
