Mastering Change
By Tony
Magee, MS, MBA
The
Destiny Doctor®
“Open
your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.”
~ Dalai Lama
Change is the one thing in life that is
not going to change. No matter what you think, no matter
how you want it to be, things are going to change.
You can count on it. So if you want to stay on top of
your world, you have to be a Master of Change.
In order to master something as seemingly
unpredictable as change, you need to know the Conditions
of Change, and before you can even begin to grasp their
intricacies, you have to do the prep work. If you
haven’t done the prep work, when you’re in the fray of
the battle and have to go with the flow of change,
you’ll wilt like a daisy in the desert.
Prep
Work for Change Mastery…
• Take your blinders off…
see things for the way they really are.
• Shatter excuses in your life…
drop your convenient stories, and all the oh-so-dramatic
reasons you can’t get it together.
• Upgrade your habits… if
your habits aren’t going to lead you to your dreams,
either downgrade your dreams or upgrade your habits.
• Be grateful… for you, for
us, for everything…especially for the vicissitudes of
life. You’ve got to love change to master it.
The payoff for mastering change is
freedom. If you can flow with change, you’re way ahead
of the game. Most of us are hanging on for dear life,
gripping the status quo so tightly that are knuckles are
whiter than granny’s hair. Change-mastery is directly
linked to self-love and self-reliance. The more able we
are to depend on ourselves, the more prepared we are for
change. As we talked about in the last chapter,
self-esteem and self-respect are the most important
prerequisites for the evolution of your life.
Read the following Conditions of Change
and know that you can master change in the same way that
you’ve mastered other things in your life.
“You
are what you are and where you are because of
what has gone into your mind, and
you can change what you are
and where you are by changing
what goes into your mind.”
~ Zig Ziglar
The
Conditions of Change
-
Count your victories.
When confronted with a big change in your life, take
a moment to tote up your latest wins — big and
small. This prepares you for the windstorm that
often accompanies change.
-
Do what you love; love what you do.
I know you’ve already heard this but it’s a truism.
If you’re not doing what you really love to do,
making a change — unless it’s in the direction of
your destiny — can feel like water torture.
-
Feelings first.
Any change — especially major change — requires that
we face the feelings and emotions that show up. If
you’re not willing to touch in with your feelings,
and express them when appropriate, you’re not going
to master change. Period.
-
Give credit where credit is due.
No matter what happens, if you have the courage to
go through change, give yourself a blue ribbon for
trying. Only the brave are willing to go up to the
dragon of change and ask him for a kiss.
-
Love yourself,
love yourself, love yourself. And while you’re at it
include us in your love nest. Self love and
respect is the ticket, whatever the show may be.
-
Risk, risk, risk.
When a positive, albeit challenging change requires
risk, don’t hesitate. Leap! There is no safety net,
and thank God you don’t need one! As my personal
hero, the Dalai Lama says, “great love and great
achievements involve great risk”
-
Take the high road.
When confronted with the choices that change brings,
make the choice that conforms most with your values
and ideals.
-
Trust your instincts.
You — and you alone — know what’s best for your
life. Tune in, determine what feels right and change
will be exhilarating, not exhausting.
-
What’s the worst thing that can
happen?
Write it down, create a solution-oriented
contingency plan. If you’re prepared for the worst
thing that can happen, the reality is easier.
Being able to make changes gracefully
requires that we know how to make choices, and
unfortunately you don’t get that in your education. Look
around. The people you admire — the entrepreneurs,
pathfinders, pioneers, celebrities — they are masters of
change. They know who’s writing their life script, and
they also know that half of the script is improvised.
There is nothing more boring — and demeaning — than the
status quo.
Mastering change has great payoffs: self
knowledge, self respect, self confidence,
self-esteem…not-to-mention that mastering change is the
shortcut to fulfilling your destiny.
The bottom line is freedom. You came to
this planet with the blueprint of freedom and
fulfillment. If you’ve been change-phobic up to now,
like anything worthwhile, mastering change is going to
take practice. Experiment, take baby steps, be gentle
with yourself, but know this: you are a master of change
and it’s about time that you knew it!
“Beliefs generate your thoughts
and emotions, which create your experiences.
To change your life, change your
beliefs."
~ Dick Sutphen
©
2003-2008 Tony Magee, MS, MBA and PlatinumStar®
Life-Strategies
Want to use this article in your e-zine, newsletter, or
team website? You can, as long as you include this
complete blurb with it: Tony Magee, "The Destiny
Doctor", along with Sean
Smith, "The Pink Caddie Coach," empower
Independent Beauty Consultants to identify and erase all their inner
obstacles and create personalized action plans guaranteed for success, so
they can make more money, have more free time, and live the lifestyle of
their dreams. To get your free inspirational e-newsletter, "Pink
Possibilities", delivered directly to your
email, subscribe now for FREE at
www.PinkPossibilities.com.
