In Part One of this post I hit on some really powerful concepts that I want to retouch for the sake of clarity.
Humans possess a strong natural bias in favor of perpetuating the status quo. We are creatures of habit. It’s hardwired into our brains. Change causes us stress – which is the grown-up word for fear.
My message here is not that we should pursue reckless change with no regard for the risk involved. In fact, I believe that there is a delicate balance of risk and safety and every individual prefers a unique balance. What I propose, then, is that we become more aware of our natural aversion of change. We tend to react negatively to change itself, before we fully examine if the change is positive or negative.
Personally, I tend to automatically categorize all change as negative at first – especially when I’m tired, stressed, or just plain grumpy. But take a deep breath and think through the situation and it’s amazing how often you’ll say, “It’s not as bad as I thought” or “I guess it will work out for the best.” We use these phrases because we tend to automatically assume change, especially when unexpected or out of our control, is negative.
The solution is twofold
- Become more aware of how you approach the change in your life – whether it’s change in business, education or relationships. Do not automatically categorize all change as negative. Fight this natural tendency and you will be happier person – I guarantee it. (Reminds me of the famous Chuck Swindol quote, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”)
- Become more aware of your natural tendency to prefer comfortable decisions. When you practice this awareness you enable yourself to make smart, clear decisions. You will also be in a better mindset to lead others with a clear vision. The principles in this post enable the first part of my personal mantra, “Clear vision. Smart solutions. Relationships first.”
This topic is hugely powerful and I feel as if I’ve only scratched the surface. I’d love to hear what you think. What change in your life do you find particularly difficult? Here’s a challenge, make one smart decision today that is uncomfortable for you. Then report back and leave a comment. I’m looking forward to some great discussion!
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Have you ever heard of the book, “Who Moved My Cheese” it discusses this concept a lot, I got it as a gift and it has made me realize how I personally view most change as negative. It is hard to break that thought process, but I believe that if I view change in a positive light, positive things will evolve.
This all reminds me that the Chinese symbol for ‘disaster’ is a combination of ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity.’