Week #42: Embrace the Change!
October 16, 2007
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Washington, DC area (Upper Marlboro, MD) - October 20th
If
you are in the DC/Maryland area, join me at the First Baptist of
Glenarden 2007 Singles Symposium on Saturday, October 20th. For more
details, visit www.fbcglenarden.org. Branson, MO - November 3rd
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This Week's Topic: Embrace the Change!
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 Dear Friend, A
couple of weeks ago as I sat to eat breakfast, I gazed through the
kitchen window and noticed a small, seemingly insignificant event: A
yellow leaf fell from a branch and glided gently to the ground.
Although it was nearly 90 degrees that day, it was a sure sign that
autumn has arrived. Now, if you’ve read this column for any
length of time, you know I LOVE summer. I love everything about it –
the warm weather, daylight savings, beaches, short sleeves, grilling,
summer vacation … you get the picture. So normally, this time of year,
I dread the changes. But this year, I’ve chosen to embrace the arrival
of fall. Dreading it surely won’t make the leaves stay green or
daylight linger a bit longer. Instead, I choose to stand in awe of the
beauty of fall – the changing colors, pleasant weather and prelude to
the holidays and a new year. When you resist the inevitable, you
waste energy and time. This week, I invite you to consider an area of
your life in which change is on the horizon – and embrace the change.
There are different seasons for different reasons. Look for the good in
the changes that you face. Change often offers an opportunity to grow.
It can force you out of a rut or expand you in ways you didn’t know you
could be expanded. On the other side of change, if you embrace and grow
from it, you become a better, wiser person. Remember these strategies
as you choose to embrace a change this week: 1.Step gracefully into a new season.
Perhaps
a new phase of life is ushering its way in. Embrace it. Be willing to
let go of old ways of doing things so that you can embrace this new
season. Acknowledge the end of an era and step fully into who you are
in this new stage of your personal or professional life. 2. When it’s time for a change, it is natural to feel fear.
Stepping
out of your comfort zone is uncomfortable. Expect to feel fear or
anxiety, and choose to keep moving forward despite it. We all feel fear
at times. The key to overcoming it is mustering the courage to do so. 3.Rather than focus on challenges, look for opportunities.
When
changes comes, it is tempting to make a long list of obstacles and
challenges and remain focused on them. But it is important to notice
the opportunities that change offers. Ask yourself, “What good could
come of this change?”, “How could I make the most of this?” and "What
have I been wanting to do that I can now do because this change will
make space for something different?". 4.See the big picture.
Don’t
just consider the change in front of you. Create a vision of what is to
come. And if you have a difficult time seeing the big picture, talk to
a friend, colleague, or advisor who can see the big picture and remind
you of it. Fear can cause you to narrow your focus, making it easy to
nitpick and difficult to open your mind to possibilities. As
autumn reminds us that life changes, remember that even this season
will give way to yet another season. Go with the flow and enjoy the
journey. My challenge to you this week:
Embrace the change! Journaling assignment:
What
change is it time for you to embrace? What would it look like for you
to embrace the change rather than dread it? What would you have to do
differently? What will you have to let go of? What is the big picture?
Until next time ... Warm wishes,
 P.S. Encourage your friends and family by sharing this newsletter and invite others to subscribe! Just send them to
www.valorieburton.com, where they can enter their email address on the home page. Valorie
Burton, a life coach and speaker, is the author of Listen to Your Life,
Rich Minds, Rich Rewards, What's Really Holding You Back?, and her
latest, Why Not You?. Subscribe to her FREE, inspirational e-newsletter
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