“Everything must change, nothing stays the same…”
These classic lyrics, originally penned and performed by musician/songwriter Bernard Ighner in 1974, serve as a simple reminder about an undeniable truth that all of us face: change. How we respond to change is a decision.
Here are 10 ways you can be proactive rather than reactive to changes in your life.
1. Forever curious! Discover new things daily.
Approach each day with the attitude that you are a life-long learner and there are plenty of teachable moments available as long as you periodically shift your gaze from “on-the-screen/keyboard” to “up-down-and-all-around!”
Hint: keep a small journal of the interesting and unique things you discover in your look-up moments.
2. Seek creative soul food.
We need to feed our creativity and our capacity for innovation via participation in inspiring moments and things we find joy in doing. Got a hobby?! Love art or nature?! Enjoy indie movies?! Whatever it is, find time to indulge in things that provide sustenance for your creative soul and tickle your brain.
3. Wanted: Energy!
You can’t avoid stories in the media about the importance of having good, personal health habits. Well it’s true! In order to deal with upheaval in your life or manifest a dream into a reality, we need to prepare our mind and body for stressors we will face in life. So…eat right, drink plenty of water, get the rest you need, and find time to exercise at least 3 times per week for minimum of 20 minutes. Your body (and soul) will thank you!
4. Ain’t no mountain high enough!
Obstacles can become opportunities when approached with imagination, innovation, guile and determination. When life “triple-dog-dares-you,” accept the challenge, be willing to skin-your-knees and know that you possess the ability to overcome all things.
5. Hardhat required!
Success and positive results may be your hope and desire but they will not come overnight so pack a lunch and bring your hardhat! You need daily commitment, passion, intention, discipline, honest and real effort, patience and belief that hard work will be rewarded in time. You gotta trust the process and be committed to your dream.
6. Want-to!
Be sure to reaffirm your commitment (aka Want-to) to your goal or dream daily. As my grandfather would say: “You can’t accomplish anything in life with a broke Want-to!”
7. Expect and respect the unexpected.
Change happens. Get over it. Remember: You were tremendously resilient as a child and you still have the capacity to be that way. You do possess an ability to be resourceful; it’s one of our human wonders. Prepare for change. Expect it. And expect that the unexpected will appear too!
8. Seize 86,400
A day is comprised of 86,400 seconds which equates to 86,400 opportunities to move closer to your goal or dream. They are precious seconds, valuable ticks, abundant chances. Your choice on how you use ‘em!
9. Got BFFs?!
Be proactive and utilize the myriad of ways to network! With the proliferation of social media tools and the tried-and-true old-school human network, there are many ways to build personal contacts that can serve as connectors, encouragers and catalysts for you.
10. Play!
Value play’s ability to keep your mind sharp, agile and open to unpredictable moments. The beauty about play is that the lessons we learned in childhood remain valuable our entire life: communication, problem-solving, ingenuity, innovation, resourcefulness, collaboration, teamwork and creativity (and many other useful skills to enhance our human potential)
Learning how to use tools and resources to face an uncomfortable moment, personal upheaval or a professional change in a positive way, is an absolute necessity for these 21st century times. Let’s choose to thrive!
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