I watched the sun rise this morning.
As I quietly drank my coffee on my front porch, the sun crept up from behind
the trees. It started slowly … timidly
leaving behind the darkness of the night until it exploded into the horizon
bringing with it a multitude of color and warmth in its wake. I paid it little attention until it was high
enough to convince me to change into my sunglasses.
Change. Why is change so
hard? We see it daily with the rising and setting
of the sun, the start and end of each day, a morning alarm alerting us to wake
up and our tired bodies convincing us to fall asleep. We change our clothes, we change our minds,
we change the bed sheets from time to time.
We should be used to it, right?
But it is still hard.
Some change is inevitable and comes with the passage of time. Spring eases into summer, trees embrace the
changes of fall, and a winter snow protects the earth in anticipation of another
fresh spring. Some change is so gradual
that we hardly even notice – when did the kids get so tall? When did my hair turn so gray?
Some change takes effort – a conscious decision to move forward. It can be scary and unsettling to step out on
that limb and face the unknown. It is always
easy to see what we are leaving behind – the sense of security in the familiar. We may miss the bustling house when our children
leave home, the love we once knew in a marriage gone bad, or the daily routine
of a job that we held for years. We may
even crave the comfort of food when we choose a healthier lifestyle or long for
a habit that we’ve tried to give up. We may miss these things, but that doesn't mean we need them back.
With
change, our sense of purpose may feel questioned, current relationships may be threatened
and our whole well being may be tingling with fear. The “what if?”s and “what now?”s may run amok in
our heads. We must remember to look for the
positives – the reasons behind the change, the things waiting for us on the
other side - the light at the end of the tunnel.
Change holds the prospect of something better - new goals with new successes,
new hobbies and things yet to learn, even new or renewed relationships – a new
you – a fresh start!
Of course, there are also things that cannot be changed. We can’t change the past, it is over and
done. We can only build on the memories,
successes and even failures as we head into the future. We can’t change other people, what they may
think, say or do. We may try to help
them for a while, but eventually we may have to choose to let them go. Some may try to drag us down with their own
negative issues - fearful we may leave them behind - when in their hearts, they know
they should also make a change. Some
people even thrive on finding drama, spreading gossip and feeding their own
fragile egos. Don’t let them sway you,
toss them pity if you must, then turn your focus back to your goals. It has been said that “great minds discuss
ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.” It is important to surround ourselves with
people we can inspire and who can lift us up in return.
Positive change is aimed at achieving greatness – making good things
even better, improving our lives and the world around us, whatever that may
take. With change, each and every one of
us has the potential to do great things.
So, join me today in embracing change.
Step out on that path, rise with the sun and soar with the butterflies. Let’s aim for greatness today!
