HAVING THE “RIGHT STUFF” FOR DEALING WITH CHANGE

 

Alan B. Shepard

I grew up having a love affair with the United States of America’s space program.  Perhaps I was caught up in all the hoopla surrounding sending people into outer space.  Or perhaps it was something deeper talking to me about challenges, risks, and the unknown.  Whatever it was, on May 5, 1961, when Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space and successfully piloted his Freedom 7 capsule into suborbital flight, I became hooked on space travel and all the unknowns associated with it.  That love affair, that fascination, continues to this day.  So, it should come as no surprise that I read with interest Scott Kelly’s memoir, Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery, which is a reflection on his 340-day experience on the International Space Station as well as a reflection on his life prior to and after becoming an astronaut.

 

Kelly relates how he was a terrible student in school – staring out windows or looking at the clock, waiting for class to be over.  And, he talks about how he worked as an EMT (emergency medical technician) in high school and how much he enjoyed that.  His lack of interest in schoolwork continued in his early college days.  That is, until he walked into a campus bookstore to buy snacks and a display with the book The Right Stuff (a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe about the pilots engaged in U.S. postwar research with experimental rocket-powered, high-speed aircraft as well as documenting the stories of the first Project Mercury astronauts selected for the NASA space program) caught his eye.  He bought a copy, read it, and described it as, “This wasn’t just an exciting adventure story. This was something more like a life plan.”   He goes on to say, “But what I craved about the ambulance was the excitement, the difficulty, the unknown, the risk.  Here, in a book, I found something I’d thought I would never find:  an ambition.  I closed the book that night a different person.”  (p. 11)

Something happened way back in 1961 that, to this day, influences how I view and I deal with change.   Perhaps it was growing up with the excitement of the burgeoning space era; perhaps watching live telecasts of launches and splash downs of space capsules (and then landings of shuttles); or perhaps having “the right stuff” awakened in a young child – thriving on change, conquering unknowns, overcoming challenges, taking risks to make dreams come true.  Whatever it was, my love affair with the space program has blossomed into a love affair with successfully managing change.

So, this week, let’s look at some of “the right stuff” (most of which is highlighted by Kelly in his book) associated with managing change.  These include the ability to:

Welcome change.  The classical Greek philosopher Socrates said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new!”  These words serve as the foundation for the “right stuff” for managing change.  A willingness to face the change head on and build upon it is paramount to successfully managing change.

Embrace change.  To embrace change means we are accepting of it.  And in accepting it, we find ways to deal with it.  We look at how whatever has changed can enhance us or we can enhance what has changed.  Even when the change is considered to be an inconvenience, when we embrace it, we look for the possibilities in it and seeking possibilities is part of the “right stuff.”

Control response and attitude.  Those who successfully navigate life’s most challenging circumstances understand that it is their reaction to the events and circumstances that shapes their feelings, actions, and results.  Brian Tracy tells us, “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”  Our response will define our quality of life (paralyzed and immobilized; negative and unhappy, or positive and making the best of everything).  Do not let what happens dictate the response.  With the “right stuff,” we take control of our attitude which in turn controls the direction of our response.

Take calculated risks.   Taking risks involves doing something that helps achieve a desired solution but in which there is a lack of certainty about the outcome and/or a fear of failure (sums up the space program nicely). When change and transition alter the course of our journey and a new route must be tried, there is a certain amount of risk involved when traveling down the unknown route.   Instead of curling up in the safety of our comfort zone, we must be bold and step up the challenge.  T.S. Eliot said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”  Those with the “right stuff” are not afraid to take calculated risks to reach a goal.

Set goals.  Goals are our plans for the future.  They are what we are trying to achieve.  When we set goals, we determine what result we want and then we put forth effort to achieve that result.  Our goals give us possibilities. And, when change that we don’t particularly want enters our life, having possibilities for the future helps us deal with that change. (Without goals, space exploration – and certainly landing on the moon before 1970 or the International Space Station – would never have happened.)  Setting goals helps fuel the “right stuff.”

 

Thrive on challenge.  Things that are difficult for us to do are challenges.  Dealing with some change, especially that which is sudden or unexpected, presents a great challenge to most. With the “right stuff,” we look for the opportunities within the situation; the challenge.  We find a sense of purpose within or from the situation.

Be adventuresome. An adventure is an unusual or exciting experience.   Juliet Marillier (a New Zealand-born writer of fantasy, focusing predominantly on historical fantasy) tells us,  “Don’t you long for something different to happen, something so exciting and new it carries you along with it like a great tide, something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it?”

 

Be persistent.  Persistence is dogged determination, tenacity, and perseverance. It is the ability to keep on going no matter what one may be facing or how one feels about the situation.  Persistence helps us maintain action and helps us produce results.  While there may be comfort for us in the past or the old, we can’t get rooted in it. We need to be able to continually move forward despite the difficulties created by the change. Persistence helps us become resolute in doing this; it gives us the resolve to go on; it provides the drive.

Have endurance.  Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or stress; it is staying the course no matter how tough while working through challenges. Both physical and mental endurance are important in managing change. We train or teach ourselves to never quit; we are like Energizer bunnies – we keep on going and going and going…

Think positive.  Louise Hay, author of The Power is Within You, has said, “You are not a helpless victim of your own thoughts, but rather a master of your own mind.”  As masters of our own minds, I believe it is beneficial for us to think positive when times and situations are challenging.  If we think positive we think something is attainable, workable, and achievable.  We focus our attention and thoughts on positive outcomes  We empower ourselves to greet each day with a positive outlook making our days brighter, focus on constructive approaches to deal with issues, view challenges and obstacles as opportunities, and find the good, the positive in what we face.

We all have the “right stuff” within us.  It is how we bring it to the surface and use it that makes the difference in how we view and manage change.  The next time change knocks us off course, we need to consider putting our “right stuff” into action.

  (I highly encourage the reading of Kelly’s Endurance especially to see how he used his personal storehouse of “right stuff” attributes to become an astronaut and successfully deal with the challenges encountered on his 340 days in space.)

FACING CHANGE HEAD ON

Five years ago, I got a cell phone with a keyboard that provided me ease of texting.  I primarily got this phone so I could keep in touch with my then 16-year-old nephew who was out and about more without me.  A few days ago I went to compose a text and the screen was blank.  No matter how often I kept checking, the blank screen remained.  I kept saying, “This cannot be good.”

And, it wasn’t.  When I took the phone in to my wireless provider I was told that they no longer carried phones with a keyboard like that.  My only option was to get a smart phone with a touch-screen keyboard.  I just stood there shaking my head ‘no.’ I liked the style of my old phone.  I was used to my old phone.  I am not a digital native and the thought of migrating to a smart phone scared me.

 Does this sound familiar to you?  When hit with change, is your first thought ‘no?’  Does the familiarity of the style of something make you feel comfortable?  Are you so used to something that you don’t want to change?  Does the thought of having to move to something new scare you?    Answering yes to any of these questions is a completely normal reaction to change.  Even someone like me who writes about change and who has gone through many, many changes in my lifetime can still become resistant to change and have to deal with the normal feelings and reactions that most change brings.

As in my case with the cell phone, I had no choice but to come to grips with the change (and rapidly).  This week, I want to share with you five things that I did that helped me move toward accepting this change that I in no way wanted (and that saved me from making a fool of myself in public). 

 

 

First, I didn’t overreact.  I had no control over the style of cell phone I liked no longer being available.  Ranting and raving would get me nowhere.  Sulking wasn’t going to accomplish a thing. Taking out my frustration on the person trying to help me would not be fair.  As Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who battled pancreatic cancer, said in The Last Lecture, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt just how we play the hand.”  If we are able to control our reaction to whatever is changing we will be better able to direct our energies in a positive direction, a direction which helps with our accepting and adjusting to the change.

Next, I let go.  To get what I wanted (a phone with texting capability), I had to give up what is (my older phone with a traditional keyboard).   Letting go means that we have to let go of something we feel is important or worthwhile.  Without letting go, we cannot move on, move forward.  Melody Beattie, an American author of self-help books on codependent relationships, talks in her book More Language of Letting Go about how sometimes we are so scared that all we can think to do is hang on and how that hanging on is a “silly illusion.”  Indeed, it was a silly illusion for me to think that in this day and age of technological advances that a five-year old cell phone was still the most efficient communication device for me.  When I told my soon-to-be 21- year-old nephew about the new phone he texted, “Welcome to the modern age.”  Yes, to move forward and welcome ourselves to something new we sometimes do need to give up the familiar, the comfortable.

Then, I looked for opportunities in the new.  What advantages would I have with a different phone?  My new phone allows me to check email messages.  My new phone allows me to get any pictures I take printed.  I didn’t have either capability with my old phone.  Should I choose, my new phone allows me to download many apps which will be beneficial to me.  Seeing the  opportunities in the changes that enter our lives allows us to focus our energies on building the new rather than on fighting the old (paraphrased from a Socrates quote).

These first three things I did led me to have a new mindset about the new cellphone.  (Our mindset consists of beliefs and thoughts that determine how we respond to situations.)  If our mindset is negative and tells us something isn’t good or won’t work, it won’t.  If our mindset is positive and tells us something is good or will work, it will.  With the new cell phone, I told myself that I could make this work and that I would benefit more from it.  The more positive I became about the phone, the more I could see the good in it and its potential.  Remember, if we repeat positive thoughts, our mind will begin to focus on what we want rather than on what we do not want.  If we feed our mind positive, it will weaken the negative.  Remember, we act in ways that are consistent with the expectations we have.

And my final action was to be patient with the new phone and all that it would take to use it effectively (and for a non-techie person like me, learning to use all the features could pose challenges) and with myself.  Having patience is the capacity to accept something that may be perceived as a setback without getting angry or upset.  Certainly hearing that if I wanted to continue to text on my cell phone that I needed to get a smart phone was a setback to me and as often happens when unexpected change hits us, a setback accompanies it.  However, not getting angry or upset – demonstrating patience – gives us a peace of mind that can go a long way in helping us move forth with the change.  And having patience allows us to better focus on what we are facing and helps us move forward.  (Certainly having patience allowed me to better absorb all the sales associate was showing me with the phone’s features.)

It is never easy letting go or giving up something/someone that we love, are fond of, or are comfortable with.  However, sometimes we have no choice (as was my case with my cell phone).  When the change is out of our control the only thing we can control is how we react to the change.  While there are things we can do in the short term that might make us feel better (ranting, raving, moaning, and groaning), none of these helps us move on or deal with what we are left with.  After we vent about the unfairness of the change, we need to quickly look at how we can make the most of and the best of the situation.  The five things shared in the post are but a few of the strategies that will help us move beyond the situation (check out past posts for more strategies).  The important thing to remember is that we can control the change by controlling our reaction and setting in motion plans that work to our advantage.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY?

On October 18, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Arizona Cardinals. Steeler backup quarterback, Michael Vick, got injured in the game and “back up, back up” quarterback, Landry Jones, had to come off the bench to finish the game.  In response to a question about this, head coach Mike Tomlin commented that we never know when an opportunity will present itself but we must always be ready for it.

Steeler Head Coach, Mike Tomlin

That is so true! An opportunity is defined as a combination of favorable circumstances or situations; a chance, especially one that offers some kind of advantage; a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.  Many don’t see changes in their lives as opportunities, but that is exactly what change offers.  Change presents a circumstance or a situation in which you can do something differently and perhaps in doing so, move closer to a personal goal. (This was certainly the case with Landry Jones.  The change was Michael Vick’s injury.  The situation was Landry getting a chance to show what he could do in the quarterback role.  The personal goal might be Landry’s desire to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.)

The situation with Landry Jones is one example. Think about it.  How much change have you been through in the last year? Did you move?  Did you retire?  Did your family grow with the addition of a new child?  Did you have a child graduate and head off to college?  Did you switch jobs?  Did your company downsize and you suddenly found yourself out of a job?  Did your family shrink with the loss of someone?  Did you find yourself suddenly single?  Did you have to learn new technology to stay current in your workplace?  Did you graduate high school or college?  Did you change the color of the walls in one of your home’s rooms?  Change is a part of our lives and no matter how minor, major, or seismic the change is, there is no getting around it.

But while there is no getting around change, there is no denying that change is scary and sometimes it is risky. Change opens the door to the unknown and for that reason (along with its scariness and riskiness), we may often miss the opportunities that change can bring.  We miss those opportunities because we let the negative ‘what ifs’ take over.  Let’s take Landry Jones and see what the negative ‘what ifs’ might have done to him:  What if I can’t remember the plays?  What if I am too nervous?  What if I really just don’t have what it takes to play in the big leagues?  What if I make a mistake?  What if I throw an interception on my first play? What if the fans boo?  What if…..

Those negative ‘what ifs’ have a way of messing with our mind and keeping us rooted in place. Instead of seeing where the opportunity may lead, we don’t pursue it and in addition to not moving forward we add some stress and frustration to our lives because of the ‘what if’ game.   Since, as Mike Tomlin says, we never know when opportunity will present itself but we must always be ready for it, what can we do to put ourselves in a better position to be ready when opportunity does come our way?

Keep risk in perspective. Risk is our exposure to danger, harm, or loss.  If you think about it, doesn’t this describe daily life?  Once we wake up and get out of bed, we have no idea what awaits us.  There is an element of risk in everything we do, every choice we make.  We need to keep this in mind when change is upon us.  Think about things you’ve done or encountered in your life that had a modicum of risk and think about the outcome.  You are here reading this so whatever the level of risk, you survived it; you overcame it.  Evaluate the situation in terms of low, medium, high level of risk.   Look for the low-risk options and explore those first.

Dial down the “scary meter.”  We get scared when we don’t know what is about to come.  So, when an opportunity presents itself that raises the scare level into the high zone, think about possible end results.  Categorize those results into “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”  If the potential good results outweigh the other two categories, the opportunity might be one worth pursuing.  Steer clear of anything that has too many items in potential ugly results, for all the obvious reasons.

Enlist the help of your “touchstones.”  Friends and family are always there to help you.  Share your “good, bad, and ugly” list with them.  Discuss the pros and cons.  See if someone has had a similar experience and see how they handled it.

Reflect on your values and goals. Marsha Sinetar says, “Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.”  Opportunities provide us moments to reflect on what is important to us – our values and our goals.  Ask yourself if the opportunity is in sync with who and what you are.  If yes, it might be something worth pursuing.  If no, it might be something to stay away from.

Avoid tunnel vision. Would you notice an opportunity if it was knocking on the door?  So often we let what is right in front of us cloud our view and we don’t see the full picture.  Remember to avoid focusing exclusively on a single or limited goal or point of view.  Expand those horizons so that you are able to recognize when opportunity knocks on the door.

Stay in “shape.” It is important to ensure that all aspects of our health –  physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual – are well.  To be prepared for opportunity, all parts of us need to operating on “all cylinders.”  When our well-being is balanced, we are in much better shape to deal with whatever is facing us.

Change has a way of bringing about amazing opportunities. Winston Churchill has said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” If you see the opportunity in the changes that enter your life, you will be able to focus your energy on building the new rather than on fighting the old (paraphrased from a Socrates quote).   It is true that we never know when opportunity will present itself. The important question is:  Will you be ready when it does?

“YOU CAN’T SPELL CHAlleNGE WITHOUT CHANGE”

I came across the following quote and it resonated with me enough to turn it into a post: “You can’t spell challenge without change. If you’re going to rise to the challenge, you have to be prepared to change.”   In previous posts, I have defined change as to make something different from what it once was. Challenge can be defined as a demanding, difficult, or stimulating situation. Think a moment about what challenge you have recently faced. Was that challenge initiated by a change in your life?   Did whatever change make the situation more challenging for you?

When I do this reflection, most of the challenges I have encountered have been as a result of change; change that I have initiated, change that I saw coming and could somewhat prepare for, and change that came along unexpectedly. And, my ability to rise to the challenge certainly seemed related to how prepared I was or how willing I was to change (with more truth resting on the latter).

Do we sometimes make the challenge of change more difficult on ourselves? Of course we do. Let’s take a look at some of the obstacles we put in our own way of dealing with the challenge of change.

OUR PERSPECTIVE/POINT OF VIEW. This is our way of thinking or looking at something. In times of change, especially if the change is unwanted or unexpected, our first line of thinking may be negative: I can’t deal with this; this is too much to handle; why me?; this will never work; etc.   The more negative our point of view, the harder it is to deal with the change. (So, it is to our advantage to look for the benefit in, the positive in, the good in what has changed. Whether it is life in general or during times of change, it is vital that we not dwell or get lost in the side that is unpleasant or negative. Yes, acknowledge the unpleasant, the negative, but don’t let that define the situation or the change. Move beyond and look for the pleasant, the positive. Doing so gives us power and control over the situation, the change.) 

OUR ATTITUDE. What we think (our thoughts), what we do (our behavior), and what we feel (our emotional response) all make up our attitude. Just as with our perspective or our point of view, if we have a negative attitude toward change, our response to it is more likely to be negative. If you think it won’t work, won’t happen, it won’t. If you think you can’t, you can’t. And, when we think this way, we begin to make excuses and find reasons why things won’t work or can’t work. (Jean-Paul Sartre said, “What is important is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us.” And, it is our attitude that influences our choice of action and our response to what happens to us. Because our response to situations is so important and because our attitude has a lot to do with how we respond, it is our attitude that determines how successful we will be in dealing with situations, with change. So, it behooves us to approach change with a positive, can-do attitude. A can-do attitude can be defined as a process of convincing your mind that you can do everything. It is about believing in yourself that you are capable of being successful in what you plan to do. It’s about finding ways to make things happen instead of making excuses about why things can’t happen. It’s the ability of overcoming problems and obstacles that come in the way of success. This type of attitude is characterized by an eager willingness to accept and meet challenges.  A can-do attitude is one of the keys to successfully negotiating change. When you have a can-do attitude, you believe in yourself. You are more willing to be proactive, to take action, which is needed when dealing with change and transition.)

OUR MINDSET. Our mindset consists of beliefs and beliefs are thoughts that are repeated over and over for a period of time that determine how we respond to situations.   And the longer we think that something can or can’t happen, the more we believe that thought and the more we act accordingly. So, our mindset is very powerful. It can control us; it can hold us back from doing things and in times of change, it can definitely hold us back from accepting or dealing with the change and moving forward. (To change your mindset, you MUST DO SOMETHING! You do have it within you to identify what is holding you back and to challenge whatever that is. You do have it within you to live the life you want. You do have it within you to work toward your vision and goal(s). With persistent action, you can change a limiting mindset and move forward.) 
FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN and LEAVING OUR COMFORT ZONE. These areas are perhaps the biggest challenges to change. No matter how excited we may be about the new opportunity each change may bring about, we likewise have moments of doubt, fear, and unease all caused by the move out of our comfort zone and not knowing what may happen. Certainly change brings about a lot of “not familiars” about which we may feel threatened. With the unknown, we don’t know what is coming. Why do we fear the unknown? Well the unknown is something with which we are not familiar. Things with which we are not familiar may threaten us and fear is an emotion that arises when we feel threatened by something. We lose that comfortable routine, that comfort zone; the predictability, sureness, and the routine, all of which makes us feel safe and that is scary and frightening. All of this is what makes dealing with change so difficult and scary. (Fearing the unknown and not wanting to leave our comfort zone are natural reactions. However, if being unwilling to venture forth into the unknown or venture outside our comfort zone means that we are held back from moving forth, or held back from learning and growing, that is not a good thing. Sometimes to move ahead, we have to take that leap of faith and move beyond the known, move beyond what is comfortable.) 

RISK. In the context of dealing with change and transition, taking risks involves doing something that helps achieve a desired solution but in which there is a lack of certainty about the outcome and/or a fear of failure. When change and transition alter the course of one’s journey and a new route must be tried, there is a certain amount of risk involved when traveling down the unknown route. Uncertainty and the fear of failure often hold us back in a changed environment. (However, some say a turtle only advances by sticking its neck out. So it is with us. We must ‘stick our neck out;’ we must take some risks to make the necessary adjustments in the altered environment; we must ‘stick out our neck’ to move forward. We have all heard the proverb, “Nothing ventured; nothing gained.” In times of change and transition, if we want to ‘gain,’ to make progress in the new environment or situation, we must ‘venture.’ With that venture, we will sometimes have to take risks to move forth; to make progress.) 

COMMITMENT. Being dedicated to the “cause” or situation or solution is being committed. Change can be tough and making a commitment to do whatever it takes for the change to take hold or be successful can certainly be challenging. Staying focused and enthusiastic, especially in the wake of unwanted or unexpected change can be difficult. (To overcome the challenge of commitment with change, you have to accept the change with both your head/mind and your heart. You have to be willing to ‘stay the course’ no matter what you encounter. Staying committed requires persistence and perseverance. You have to have dogged determination and the ability to keep going no matter what you may be facing or how you really feel about the situation.)  
FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY. The unwillingness to change to fit a new environment or remaining rigid in one’s way of thinking or behaving will certainly stand in the way of change. Because we are creatures of habit, it is difficult for most of us to adapt or be flexible in times of change. Having to change our patterns and behaviors is frustrating and annoying. We would really simply prefer to keep doing things the old way, since this allows us to stay in our comfort zone. (When you can adapt to a situation, you can formulate a plan and implement it by adjusting to the situation. A person who can accept change and adjust to life is the one who is able to focus the mind in new directions and make choices based on his or her desired outcomes. There are times when we must accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. Never forget, just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly! As Charles Darwin says, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”) 

RESISTANCE/AVOIDANCE. The reasons why we resist or avoid change are numerous: we don’t feel the change is needed; we misunderstand the need for the change; the reason for the change is unclear; the unknown of the change; we fear we don’t have the skills to succeed in the changed environment; we are committed to the old way of doing things; lack of trust; the attitude of ‘this too shall pass;’ we weren’t consulted about the change. All of these (plus any you can add to the list) do act as challenges to change. (Socrates said that “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Sometimes we just have to give things a try; give it our best shot. When we give things a shot, we are at least moving forward. You’ve got nothing to lose by giving something a try. And, who knows, something may be gained or learned from that try!) 

Someone said, “Challenges or testing, trying and conflicting situations are a part and parcel of life. You are bound to face challenges of different types during each day you live, throughout your lifetime. But facing challenges and overcoming them helps us in molding us into a better, stronger and much more evolved individual.” Just as change is always going to be a part of our lives, so will be challenges especially challenges associated with change (whether it is the change itself that presents the challenge or a challenge that we put in the way of the change). If we can avoid or prepare for the obstacles listed in this week’s post, then our ability to embrace and deal with whatever change comes our way will be strengthened.

BEING OPEN TO THE POTENTIAL OF CHANGE

My friend and colleague, Jimmy Pickett, has a post on his blog site titled Opening Our Eyes and Our Mind to Potential. (See CoachPickett.org) He talks about JoEllen Parker, president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and one of her most prized possessions, a four-foot high sculpture of a Buddhist monk holding an empty space between outstretched hands. The sculpture is titled The Gift and according to Ms. Parker, “The space he offers – the gift he carries – is pure potential.” Jimmy goes on to say, “The space between the hands is, in my experience, what we have to open if we are going to find what is possible. We already know how to limit ourselves, how to run from ourselves or a situation, or how to react in fear. I wonder what would happen if we spent even five minutes a day being open to the potential in ourselves, another person or a situation…”

I would add to Jimmy’s list, being open to the potential of change. There are many definitions for potential: capable of being, but not yet in existence; latent or undeveloped; having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future; latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness; possible.   Think about it. Change does offer us something different. It brings about possibilities of things, situations, a life that we may not have imagined, but that may be developed into something that may bring a type of peace, calm, success, or usefulness.

So, what is the potential of change? What possibilities does it offer us?  Let’s take a look at eight possibilities; of eight potentials of change.

Change offers us opportunity. Opportunity is defined as a combination of favorable circumstances or situations; a chance, especially one that offers some kind of advantage; a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal. Many don’t see changes in their lives as opportunities, but that is exactly what change offers. Change presents a circumstance or a situation in which you can do something differently and perhaps in doing so, move closer to a goal or to achieving your dream. If you see the opportunity in the changes that enter your life, you will be able to focus your energy on building the new rather than on fighting the old (paraphrased from a Socrates quote).

Change offers us a time to grow. Every time change happens, we can learn new things; discover new insights about ourselves and life. Even when change takes us in a direction we never imagined, there are lessons to be learned along that journey. It is said that we only learn and grow when we step outside of our comfort zone. Change definitely forces us outside the comfort zone and in a way, forces us to grow.

With change comes a lesson in flexibility. Change makes us adapt to the new: people, situations, environments. It makes us be open to newness in ideas, ways of doing things, in living. When we’re flexible, we’re more likely to be open to creative solutions and approaches to dealing with what we’re facing.

Improvements may be an outcome of change. Things don’t just miraculously improve. Things have to be done differently for improvement to happen. By definition, change means something becomes different. So, oftentimes when change takes place, there is room for improvement to happen.

Strength is born out of adversity. Some change may be initially accompanied by unpleasantness (e.g., the grieving period after the loss of a loved one or the loss of anything – lifestyle, job, locale, home, etc.). Working through and overcoming the rough patch only makes us stronger. When we see that we can survive the change and thrive in spite of it, our self-confidence increases and we become stronger and more resilient (see last week’s post).

Change allows for new beginnings. When change happens, one door closes but another opens. We’ve talked about the need to let go (post #11, June 9, 2014), dealing with transitions while “roaming the wilderness” (post #12, June 16, 2014), and new beginnings (post #13, June 23, 2014). It is in the new beginning that you pursue your dream; your vision; your goal. The new beginning can bring adventure and excitement; joy and contentment to your life.

Change offers us chances to ‘rise to the occasion.’  If something isn’t going great, if there is a roadblock in the way, view it as a temporary setback. It doesn’t have to put a negative slant on everything. Rise to the challenge and put your creativity to work in overcoming the obstacle. If one thing “bad” happens to you in a day, that is one “bad” moment; not a bad day. If you develop the philosophy that there is no such thing as a bad day, only bad moments, you will be well on your way to developing the type of mindset you need to be successful in your changed environment.

Change allows us to see things through a different lens.  Some changes make us step back and re-evaluate our life: where we’ve been, where we’re going, who is in or needs to be in our life, what we’re doing. Often, this re-evaluation has us looking at things from a different perspective. When we are open to looking at things differently, we begin to see things in a new light, one that can guide us on this new stage of our journey. It isn’t unusual to have a reaffirmation of values through this process (or one may discover that they have strayed from their core values).

The following excerpt from Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families nicely summarizes the potential of change, “Growing up to be the best people we can be is a lifelong process. As teenagers, we may have thought that twenty-one would be a magic year for us because then we would become adults. We’d be grown up and able to handle any problems that came along, if any did. But the older we get, the more we realize that growing up is a process that never ends. We are always becoming the people we are capable of being. We’re always learning new things about ourselves, and in that process, we’re always coming to new understandings about other people and how we can get along with them. How wonderful that life always offers us room to grow! It makes new discoveries possible all through our lives, and ensures us that we will always have something to offer.” Change offers us the opportunity to learn new things about ourselves. It provides us the means to develop new understandings about life and all that surrounds us. Change does offer us room to grow. And, it does indeed, “…make new discoveries possible all through our lives ensuring that we will always have something to offer.” So, the next time change is upon you, don’t fight it or try to run from it. Embrace it with open arms; discover its potential, and yours!