Tag Archives: Change

Balance and Change

It is one of life’s most commonly accepted axioms; everything changes. Why, then, do we spend so much time fighting against it? We are continually evolving in our outer experience and our inner experience as well. It is the challenge of being human that for our lives and the working systems of our bodies to grow and work well, they are faced with a significant problem.  We need to continually be open to new input and maintain an equilibrium of that system.

Let’s look at being human and consider what change means in our outer and inner lives. When you look at how dependent we are on transition, perhaps we will be a little less resistant to it when it enters our lives.  Change is the cycle that allows us to grow into what we are meant to be, and it will enable us to have the entire life experience in a physical sense — ending with the last change to non-existence.

Inner Changes and Balance

Inside of all people, several complex systems are working to keep us functioning at our highest potential level. These systems help us digest our food, circulate our blood, breathe, think, and move, to name a few vital functions.  All of these systems are working to maintain a balance and avoid extremes. This is a constant struggle because as we continually allow new things into a system, a chance that they may harm us or throw that system out of balance exists.  But that is the risk we must take in any order.

Not allowing new additions to a system forces that system to die, which is not a good alternative for those who depend on breathing, eating, thinking, having a heart that beats, etc.  So we must ride the delicate balance between maintaining equilibrium and introducing new things into our systems.  The food we eat sustains us, but if it isn’t healthy, it causes our systems to weaken and eventually fall out of balance. Then we need to struggle, either with weight, diabetes, heart problems, or some other out-of-balance challenge.

Outside is a Balance Too

This is a less obvious one because we are continually trying to prove to the world that we are separate from all others, but in the end, we are just going to show that we need balance with other people as well.  We develop close personal relationships, with some just passing friendships and others who are our sworn enemies. But all links are input into our lives, and they cause us to move beyond where we are. If you took all the information out of life, you are working with a dead system.  Just like the food we eat provides energy for our day, the people we spend time with give the power for our experiences.

We struggle to maintain an equilibrium in our lives, but we continually need new people coming into our existence to teach us new things and allow us to grow. They can all be a challenge, but without them, we will stagnate and not experience growth.  But on a less serious note, we will not be able to be the best people we can be, sitting by ourselves and avoiding contact with people.  You have to let others enter your life, have conversations outside your comfort zone, and grow.  Like food in the body or oxygen in the lungs, other people provide the fuel for improvement and growth.  But it is always a balance to maintain the time you need for yourself and the time you need with others.

Life changes constantly threaten balance, but that is the way of things. Nobody can stay the same in life. New ideas are going to come into your life, on the inside and the outside. Our part is to recognize this will happen and do our best to ride the wave and keep our balance. If we should wipe out, then learn the lesson and move forward as best we can.

“Fortunate, indeed, is the man who takes exactly the right measure of himself and holds a just balance between what he can acquire and what he can use.” – Peter Latham.

“Change is inevitable, and the disruption it causes often brings both inconvenience and opportunity.”   —Robert Scoble

“Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.”  —Tony Robbins

 

Embracing the Dance of Change

Through the confusion we call life, we find a truth, A timeless axiom, age-old and uncouth, Everything changes, a dance so profound, Yet against this rhythm, we often are bound.

Why resist the flow, the ever-shifting tide, When within its embrace, our spirits can ride? Human hearts, like seasons, forever evolve, In the intricate dance of problems they solve.

Outer landscapes transform with the passage of days, And inner realms shift, in enigmatic ways, A challenge given, a gift to bestow, Embracing new input, we constantly grow.

Systems within us, a delicate dance, Equilibrium sought, a cosmic romance, To flourish, to thrive, we must understand, Change is the brush that paints life’s grand events planned.

Let’s ponder the essence of being alive, The transitions that shape us, and help us survive, With each ebb and flow, we step to the light, Resisting the current will dim our inner sight.

Change is the mirror that reflects our true form, Guiding us through life’s tempest and storm, A cycle of growth, a river that flows, From inception to end, where existence bestows.

So let’s welcome the changes, the twists, and the turns, For within each shift, a lesson discerns, From birth until the last breath, in a constant dance, We embrace the change, and life’s fleeting chance.

The Gift of Choice

People are given a gift of choice. Some are keenly aware of this and make decisions to understand the power of their choice to move one closer or further away from the life they desire by the honesty, integrity, and character of each of their decisions. Other people move blindly through life with no awareness of the power of their choice. They muddle through situations blaming outside influences, other people, or even something like the weather for their problems. In my observations of life, I am sure that we are in the place we are at, experiencing our lives in the manner we are due, almost exclusively, to the things we allow in our minds and the choices we make because of them.

Responsible or Not?

There is nobody responsible for your situation but you. People who understand this and live this way seem to have much more in their lives than one would want to be accountable for. The choice of responsibility brings you power, and appointing blame somewhere else takes the power of your being away.

People give their power away through blame, judgment, and wishful thinking. Your choice to accept responsibility for your circumstances brings freedom and power. Many events will happen we have no control over, but we always have 100% control over our response to any situation, and it is in this choice all of our power of attitude exists. Placing the blame won’t change anything but give you a negative attitude, place you further from a solution, or understand the lesson the situation teaches you. Or you can let another person or a situation make choices about your emotions, attitude, and thoughts. This choice is exclusively up to you.

Positive or Negative?

The choice to be positive or negative in your thoughts, actions, and attitudes is a decision a person faces continually throughout life. It is my observation most people have slanted one mentality or the other. Not surprisingly, their life circumstances serve them precisely what they seek. Keeping a positive perspective doesn’t make bad things enjoyable, but it will allow you a tool to deal with them in a better way.

A negative attitude will take you to a location of disappointment, sadness, anger, frustration, or somewhere else on that spectrum. A positive attitude won’t change the present circumstances as if by magic, but choosing to look positively will help you find the best path in your life. The tragedy is a tragedy, and pain is pain. It will hurt and be discouraging no matter how you think, but it will not define your life if you focus on the good that is still around in your life. Or you can choose to be miserable and let every “bad” thing that comes along derail you and potentially destroy you. That choice is yours and yours alone.

 Love or Not?

You have a choice to practice love in all situations or to be mean and selfish. Being human provides us with a continuous option to either be open to love or to close ourselves off to the possibilities of love. When we were young, perhaps we found pain in caring or being disappointed with those we loved. So we close our hearts and choose not to let anyone else in. The belief that others will hurt us has led me to a lifetime of relationship failures. I think most people are similar. It is easier and less risky to be on your own in life.

Life is a situation built to be lived in conjunction and connection with other humans. I aim to open up and allow new things and people into my life. As people lean into the possibility of love, they learn to love themselves. We are all the people we were when we were born. Perfect, and here for a reason. It seems life is an experience to remember exactly who we were.

Indeed there are choices in life every day, and the joy we give and receive in life will ultimately result in our ability to choose well or not. My challenge to you is to take a moment this day and every day to be aware the choice exists for you, and you are responsible for them. Good, bad, happy, or sad is all up to you.

“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.” -Anonymous

Decisions are the hardest thing to make, especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be.” -Anonymous

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela

“The 3 C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must choose to take a chance, or your life will never change.”

“Make good choices today, so you don’t have regrets tomorrow.” Anonymous

 

Building a Mindset

I heard once it is possible that of the more than 7 billion people on this planet, most will live out the entirety of their life and never contemplate anything deep or thoughtful about their existence before they die. It makes me think everyone should spend a little time each day considering their cosmic presence.

But maybe life is more comfortable, not considering the meaning of things. Thoughts about how you look at life and why we are here develop around our mindset. Recently I read the book Mindset by Carol S. Dweck. She discusses the two significant attitudes that exist, the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. Excellent thought for how you approach life, learning, and success presents here, and it would be worth your while to take the time to read through this one.

Know Your Fixed Mind

The bottom line is most people pull from both sides of this spectrum, having characteristics of each mindset, depending on the situation. First is the fixed mindset. The belief that you have the talent to do something or you don’t. Much of your self-esteem builds by results, rankings, and the ease with which something is accomplished. Challenges are avoided, and change is not welcome. In a fixed mindset, people focus on limiting you and often feel helpless when needing to change a situation. Criticism is seen as a personal attack, and they rarely leave their comfort zone. Most important, though, is the fixed mindset that thinks putting effort into something is a waste, and they rarely seek to learn new things.

I would be harder on this mindset, but I have practiced it for large parts of my life in many areas. We worry more about appearances than what would make us happier, better, or contribute significantly to the world. Beginning to recognize the fixed mindset in me has allowed me to step beyond it and look for ways to become better. Fear is behind the fixed mindset of not being accepted as who we are. Fear of not being perfect. Fear of experiencing failure. That is what happens when we let the results define our lives and provide our value. The narrow, limiting view of the fixed mindset, driven by fear, is how many live their lives. I hope to leave doubt far behind me.

Step Into Your Growth Mindset

If you look at your life, the moments when you felt the best about yourself and your accomplishments probably came from practicing the growth mindset. We welcome challenges in this frame of mind because we see their ability to help us become better and wiser and contribute more. We embrace change as an inevitable part of life. Continually seek opportunities to build. The thought is that anything is possible with the right plan, consistent practice, and maximum effort. Growth mindset, people, see learning and constructive criticism as something to be desired and sought out. New things are pleasant, and they love exploring them.

There is a lesson that will lead to your ultimate success in every failure if you take the time to learn about it. Rather than being afraid of not knowing, these people see challenges as an excellent opportunity to become better at whatever they are diving into. In a typical school, the growth mindset is not encouraged or recognized. Becoming better or growing should be life’s number one goal because growth brings purpose, fun, and interest and allows the best version of yourself to rise to the surface.

Building the Growth Mindset

Look at yourself and how you approach new things. Are you afraid to fail? Do you worry so much about what others think you limit yourself, give a half-hearted effort, or see failing as the worst thing possible? If you do, you are operating from a fixed mindset. We all tend to have a limited and growth-oriented mindset, depending on what area of life we live in. In some ways, we might be fearless and growth-oriented, and in others, we can be fearful and operating c

“Amid winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says, no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within, there’s something stronger- something better, pushing right back.”

“Every mistake you make is progress toward accomplishment.”

 

Life Always Changes

Change Your LifeEach day we are given a snapshot of our life, a moment to inhale and then let go. These moments seem like they are painted in pictures or carved in granite, observed and enjoyed later at our leisure.

This is fortunate because some people we love leave, and these memories are all that are left us. Nothing in life is permanent. These moments of quick reflection work to remind us of the past, but understand that growth will come only when you accept them as being over and move forward, which will change your life. We all carry a museum full of images and memories in our minds throughout life, but they are not relevant and accurate today because we are changing, and our minds must also change.

There is nothing in your life that is not changing every second. It is either an illusion or misunderstanding if you believe anything different. You change physically, as does your situation each day. This should not make anyone feel uneasy or experience fear, and it should be a reassuring pat on the back that you are on your way to reaching your goals and sharing accomplishments, relationships, and love not yet realized.

Small Stream of Change

Your situation in life, good or bad, will not last. We know this because nobody’s situation has ever stayed the same in the history of man. Change has always

Change Your Life
Each small stream creates its change, just as the small river of change does to your life. Subtly and almost imperceptibly, your life changes in every moment.

Come. Like a small stream of water working its way into solid granite, change works in your life daily. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, change works its way through your life. You are never at the same place in your life, ever. Different challenges, goals, people, experiences, or something else in your life are changing.

It seems like some things stay the same in the short view, but in time when you look up, you will see that everything is different. Just as the terrain around the stream never seems to change, there is a deep canyon after years. This canyon is the experience of your life. Each day you think, speak, share, and act, and these things are leaving your trail for the world to follow. Following that trial, the perceptive tracker can learn much about your journey. Maybe more than you think.

Life is Fluid

If you could view life changes as movement, they would continually play out before you, never standing still. I have often tried to capture a moment of happiness or a great experience, but that is the wrong approach. Life is energy, Change Your Lifeand as the energy of your life moves forward, you have the opportunity to influence its destination. Focusing on what we truly believe will create the tenor of events down the road.

In the book The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton stated that our beliefs permeate throughout our being from the cellular level, and changing a belief will change our experience. Life is fluid, and there is more than one option ahead of us based on our decisions about what we know is faithful to us and allows us to change our life.

Life isn’t a solid, unchanging mass that is the same for each of us; we can change our lives. It is an ever-changing collection of experiences that we are free to experience in fear, anger, hate, love, or any other emotion we choose to relate to. The resulting masterpiece will be your life, and you are the only artist that can paint that continually shifting story that is your life. Be wary of your life because it never stays the same; it constantly changes, and so do you.

Remember me to the highway signs, the colored lights, and the highway lines; remember me to my friends so kind, tell them I am fine…………..

Wisdom Comes from Suffering

Change is a constant factor people deal with every day of their life. All situations are continually changing and morphing into something else. Most of the changes we experience are so subtle that we don’t even notice them today. But that doesn’t make them any less real.

They are there, allowing the cycle of all things to flow into your life. All items have a beginning, a middle, an ending, and the force of change powers that cycle. Sometimes we let the changes happen out of our control, and others when we are the force of change. The muscles that cause people to initiate change and make positive changes are the focus of today’s thoughts. Change is not all fun and peace in your life. It can be painful, angry, and violent. When you lose something extraordinary, that means the world to you because it paints it in a different light because of change. Wisdom comes from suffering, and change brings suffering. It is time to delve into your knowledge, enhance experiences, and be grateful for them, the pain, and your path. Change uptime.

Why We Initiate change in Our Lives

Things will change naturally, but there are times when we all initiate change in our lives. One of the primary reasons is that we experience pain. We have attempted something in the past, and it was painful. Something is happening now, and it is sad. Or we can connect the dots between right now and the future, giving a good chance of bringing the pain. If any of these are your experience with anything, you will probably decide to change it. Pain or, more accurately, the fear of experiencing pain will dictate change.

Evaluating all aspects of the change you decide to make is essential. Pain is a great teacher, but it also builds fear in us. Then we lose our confidence, and our ability to accomplish things is compromised. Use your courage to face fear and embrace changes that you want or need in your life. Change for the sake of making your life better rather than fearing pain.

How to Change

Here is a simple method to create positive change in your life. First, get a clear and focused vision of what you want your life to change. Too many times, you have the opportunity to change your life in a good way, a job that suits you more, a better place to live, or some other aspect of life that you could address, but if you have no plan for change, you are likely to stand pat where you are. Even if that place is not so positive, get a clear and focused goal.

Then it is essential to be open to using all of your opportunistic forces to develop the tools and skills you need to change your life best. Find examples of people who had achieved what you sought before you and use them as positive role models. It is estimated that 80% of success in anything requires a role model to show you the way. Most people are very generous with their time and are more than willing to help somebody do what they have already done. Don’t be afraid to seek those role models to help you positively change your life.

Finally, it is essential to resolve all of your inner conflicts and embrace changes. We all carry baggage from our past, and that past existed for a reason. Usually, it teaches us a lesson if we pay attention. Don’t let a lack of confidence or an awful experience cost you your dreams today. We all have ability and talent, and let yours develop. Don’t let an issue from the past stop you from changing in positive ways.

Change, change, change.

Embrace the magic that change can bring and allow yourself to grow from it all. Please don’t spend your life fighting against it. Life is a constant dance of transformation. From birth to death, we all are continually changing. Don’t fight it. Embrace the change you face as the opportunity it is. Ten years from now, you will look back and see how different you are from 10 years ago as you were ten years before. Move all of your positive direction changes, and life will become a much more enjoyable experience.

“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” —Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea.

“I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.” —Georg C. Lichtenberg.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” —John F. Kennedy.

 

Cycles of Growth and Change

Life is like a game that brings you a varied experience. From the time we are born,  we move through cycles of change, which allow us to grow and become more mature and eventually become a powerful, positive-thinking human beings in the world. Some play this game on a loop. They get to a certain point and then try to stay in that comfortable place where everything is known, and the challenges are few.  The problem with this is that there will be little growth or purpose in life.

To avoid the pendulum of experience that swings from success to failure to gain and lose is impossible.  Our fear of loss and failure stops us from moving forward and risking all we have for the potential reward of becoming better people. We are too comfortable right where we are, even if we are unhappy or unsatisfied.  All life cycles have value and provide an opportunity to become the best version of ourselves. It would help if you had the courage to keep moving forward, regardless of the losses you might seem to leave behind.

Opportunity for Growth Everywhere

To become our best selves, we have to embrace growth opportunities. This can mean a new job, relationship, or trying something new for the first time. Growth is generally a positive experience that makes us more confident and provides joy in life. It will lead to change, and change brings an initial feeling of discomfort with it. Many people return to uncomfortable and harmful situations to avoid this awkward feeling of growth.  Even good change requires you to say goodbye to things, people, and places you enjoy and are comfortable with.  To grow, you need to dissolve a part of the past. Like a snake shedding its skin to become more mature, you must leave to get something.

Nothing can grow forever, but growth symbolizes life, and when you are reaching the end of the grand cycle of life and growth is no longer possible, it is time to move on.  Learning is the key to growth. All people can learn something new and become better at something in their lives. You always know what you want to learn because it is drawn to you like a magnet. Follow your interests in whatever paths they lead you. Don’t let age or the limiting expectations of others stop you. Modern society wonders that all information is located right at your fingertips. Search, learn, and grow. Develop and maintain a growth mindset throughout life.

Don’t Fear The Down Cycles

There are a time and a purpose for all things that happen. Sometimes it isn’t easy to see the positives in a situation, but we only have our perspective to look at things. We can’t see the landscape around us when we sit in the forest ourselves.  In general terms, down cycles are necessary for spiritual realizations to occur. The power of loss and pain draws a person to look for the meaning behind it all. If we move from success to success and never have time requiring character, we will never want change. Life is too comfortable.

Life never stays comfortable for most people. For some, it takes a significant life shake-up to force change and an investigation of things that are new and wonderful for you.  The hard times are not fun but are needed. People have experienced many deep losses, which have pushed them in new directions of development.  A new career, a new hobby, an activity that brings you peace, or even an appreciation of who you are and what a joy it can be to be a living human living on this great Earth.  All because you experienced a time of challenge in your life.  Be grateful for the challenge because it made you a better person.  Perhaps the version of yourself you were meant to be all along.

Final Analysis

So before you jump out and label one thing bad and another good, remember that the event is only the catalyst. The streams of reaction results also need to be analyzed. Often you never see your shortcomings until life points them out to you.  How can you improve something when you have no idea it exists?  It is that way when you look at failure and success. Often we get so wrapped up in perceptions we don’t understand what opportunity life has given us.  “Failure lies concealed in every success and success in every failure.”

Look for the lesson, not the perceived result, and seek ways to improve yourself.

“The perfect orchestration of the symphony of life is one of the Creator’s greatest and most beautiful miracles.” ― Suzy Kassem

“ Dharma or Ethics and Morals are the Fundamental Set of Rules created for those who want to play the Game, by those who are Inside the Game.” ― Vineet Raj Kapoor

Know You Can Change

Evolve- develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form.

If you know nothing else, know that change is constant and inevitable. We are all changing at every moment, and it may be a minuscule difference, but it is happening. You choose if you change without awareness or evolve through your development to become more in tune with your life, gain more happiness, and grow as a person.

Shouldn’t we all try to evolve consciously, dictating our direction as much as we can? Our road map begins with an awareness of our life and where we want to see changes, creating goals, setting our intentions, and then taking actions that lead to those changes.   It begins with your thoughts about who you are, the words you speak about yourself and your goals,  and the actions you take to bring these things into your reality. Make them count.

Moving to a more complex form

Evolving may seem daunting and complicated. First, it is a change, and nobody likes this. There is a tentative fear of every shift, even if we are sure it is for the best. Saying goodbye is difficult. Also, if it is something we definitely should eliminate, at least you know what to expect, and if it is wrong, we spend time worrying circumstances could worsen. Then what?   Courage allows you to seek to evolve. To grow into what you want to become, having a mindset focused on growth and understanding will help.

Invest your time and thought into things that will increase your knowledge, interests, and understanding of the world around you. Read books about topics that pique your interest. Spend time with people who are already at the point you want to go or have a similar interest in going that way. If you spend your time without intention, you are a victim of that time. You are moving wherever it takes you like a log in a river. Filling your days with little direction and focus is an existence, not a life. Evolve into a life in which you are the best version of yourself. Invest your time rather than just spending it. We have far too little time in this life to waste and far too much good to do and value to contribute.

Life will Help You

Life pushes us along the path of personal evolution, whether we want it or not. How many experiences in life do we label as bad? When in the final evaluation, we see the positives in a challenging situation brought. Even though we label something as wrong or right in our minds, it is merely an experience. Experiences are gifts that push you in one direction or another, and life enjoys making you exactly where it wants you to go. Grief, anger, loss, regret, and other negative emotions can cloud our judgment, but eventually, we will change. To seek to evolve by raising our consciousness is a great adventure. No adventure is risk-free; many are painful to the heart and mind. But that is what experience is all about.

Try to remove the labeling of experiences as good or bad. Let things be what they are. You can still experience grief at a loss but recognize the situation as part of life. You can’t go backward, and you can only share what is. So experience it and allow it to teach you what it can, even if it hurts. Don’t use any circumstance as an excuse not to try to evolve positively. Life gives you opportunities to grow and develop, and you must make a conscious choice. Either you are going to change into something better or something worse. Nothing stays the same. It is always your choice.

Sometimes you Gotta Lose Before you Win.

When we experience a loss, it is undesirable and not as good a feeling as winning. But it is what it is. We evolve when we look at the damage and evaluate why it happened, then take steps to improve our performance and process. If you won and succeeded all the time, life would have no challenges, and there would be no need for growth. Life doesn’t work that way, and it continuously provides us with situations where we can lose or win.

The key is to remove the emotion from the equation and not to take a loss personally. It isn’t a personal thing, and it is just a thing. Mourn the damage, but learn the lesson and work to become better at whatever cost you the lost in the first place. So the next time, you will find victory and not defeat. Self-improvement is a process of evolution that has always been and always will be a part of the human experience.

Evolving

Support yourself and others in the process of evolving. Recognize people are going to try things, moving in directions you may not believe in or understand. Support them on their journey. It is their journey, after all, and you are on your trip to evolving into your best self.

Learn to speak to yourself in a positive and supportive way. If the voice in your head isn’t supportive of you, get rid of it. Detach yourself from negative thoughts and energy and attach yourself to positive results and experiences. It begins with a conscious awareness that you are changing daily. Either you are getting better or getting worse. Nobody stays the same for very long. The great news is you can choose the person you evolve into through your thoughts, words, and actions. How are you going to develop today?

“Life is about evolving. Don’t stay in a situation that is not helping you grow mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.” 

“Evolve or dissolve. It’s your option.”

 

 

The Natural Path of Life

How well do you react to change? If you are like most people, the answer is not very well. All of us seem to have a natural resistance to anything being different. We continually cling to old ways, even when they have become outdated and inefficient. We adhere to careers we no longer like or living situations that make us unhappy because there is a healthy level of fear about doing something different.

But if you never try anything other than what you already do, you never evolve, and your ideas, thoughts, and emotions never become original. The growth we experience is the natural path of our lives, and all we need is to muster up a little courage to accept the changes happening all around us all the time.

Resistance

There is a natural resistance that exists in people to fight change. It is there personally as people cling to routines and avoid growing on an individual basis. Resistance also exists on a larger scale, as only well-tried and accurate methods of doing things will be accepted, and all other ideas are dismissed or even attacked. Not because they are wrong, but because they are different. All of the social upheavals in the 20th Century provided excellent examples of this. The Civil Rights movement seems like a common sense thing today. Of course, all people are equal.

But fear developed over the years and made people resist messing with the conventional way and societal expectations.

Of course, today, I would like to think that our society has solved the problem, but racial divides seem to permeate all of our community still, and at their roots are people who are resistant to change and unwilling to grow. There will be moments of resistance to change in our lives, even though change is a constant and inevitable experience.

The consciousness of your thoughts is the answer to defeating resistance. We see our beliefs as to what they are and where they guide us. The voice of your ego resists change. The ego exists and grows in the background of your unconscious mind. Its main objective is survival. So when you are in a safe situation, your ego will generate thoughts to keep you there. You would never change or grow. No matter what fantasies your ego creates, life will find a way of making change happen.

Allowing and Acceptance of  Change

There are two ways to deal with life; you can fight or flow with it. Resistance and fighting come when we think we have all the answers. Flow happens when we realize that there will be continual adjustments and changes to the experience and allow them to happen and accept them as they are. All things, our lives, careers, and relationships have a shelf life, and that is just a fact. Like life itself, all items will not last forever. It is in this scarcity that provides the value a thing possesses. Each moment in a situation should be cherished and enjoyed. Allow the lessons and the joy of the moment to seep into your consciousness and teach you precisely what it is supposed to.

Some changes will be painful, and there is a lesson in the pain. To lose something valuable to you is an experience that will allow you to become more selfish or open up and share more of yourself. Accept what happened, take responsibility for where you are, and move forward with an open heart and clear mind. Your journey isn’t over, and many great things are still to come. It is a life skill to learn to allow things to change because it will happen whether you like it or not. To accept and recognize is the action of the soul. To resist and fight is the ego.

“Transformation is not five minutes from now; it’s a present activity. At this moment, you can make a different choice, and these small choices and successes build up over time to help cultivate a healthy self-image and self-esteem.” —Jillian Michaels.

“Transformation means going beyond your form.” —said Wayne Dyer.

The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

 

The Moments That Matter

Your perspective on life will determine your success, and that is the way of it, whether you like it or not. How you look at the experiences you have will choose your thoughts on life, the people in your life, the places you go, and ultimately which goals are achievable and which are not. Even the most talented and motivated people will not be at their best every day, and if you are not functioning at your highest capacity, are you contributing in every moment? Does every minute of your life matter to the results of your experiences and accomplishments?

My philosophy is that every minute in your life matters, and those who take the time to evaluate themselves, their efforts, and where their place in the world can find value in each moment. We are limited in the number of minutes we have in life, and it is up to us what we do with them. The choice of enjoyment or boredom is yours and yours alone each day. And, of course, who is to say what one seemingly little minute in your life will lead to? Every minute is the gateway to the best version of yourself. Do you walk through it, stand in front, or walk away from it?

Life Is Short

Our human experience is valuable because there is no clear ending to the journey. It could be many years, or it could be in five minutes. Nobody knows. Yet most of us live our lives as if all the time in the world is at our disposal. It isn’t, and the acceptance and understanding that at some point, this life is going to end give all experiences, moments, and minutes a meaning. Each one will matter before the end, for sure, and often to others around you. What are you doing with your time?

Most people do not live life consciously thinking about the value of the minutes, but if you take a minute and think about it, you can find ways to make each of your minutes a little more valuable. Just as gold or diamonds have a perceived value because of their rarity, should your minutes be treated. Each one is unique and will never come again. Spending time doing what makes you come alive is the most meaningful way is the best way to make your moments last. You get the choice to appreciate what you have in your life or not.

You Choose The Value of Your Minutes

The choice is the action that makes our lives uniquely our responsibility. We choose the value of all things in our lives. We decide how valuable the people we spend time with are or are not. Is this day disappointing, or is it the gateway to something beautiful? That is a choice only you can make about your own life, and you make it every minute. Don’t accept that some minutes are better than others because of factors outside of yourself. That makes you the victim of circumstance and not the master of your fate. You choose on the inside the value that any activity has to you. That is being proactive and will lead to greater enjoyment. If you are reading, decide to value it.

Some would question if you find value if you are not contributing to something or building toward something. But I think your life is something and each moment has a chance to be built into whatever you want. You may not see the value now, but two years from now or a week from now, you will realize the foundation you have started today. If you are not currently building toward something, then you have the power to create a purpose for yourself. Start a new project. Look for a place you can make a difference. Move your sphere of awareness to what you can contribute to the world to make things better in a small way. Helping others provides a feeling of contributing to the world and building a better life for yourself. You are the only one who can choose to value each minute you have.

Responsible for Meaning

Who is to say what value is. It may be one thing, and another person may find something different to be of value to them. Personal choice is going to play a role in this. Look at the last year of my life. Some moments were better than any I have ever known and some worse than any I could imagine. For sure, both of them were valuable for different reasons. Significant change inside of myself has been the result of both extremes. Goals have been reached, which could never have been achieved in any other way. My perspective on life has adjusted more positively because of these learning moments.

Each moment good and evil forced me to change how I looked at myself and dealt with my emotions. All of life is a learning experience, and in this classroom, you are the one who decides if you “pass” and take something significant into the next moment of your life. Or if you “fail” and sit around, feeling sorry for yourself. You are the only one who can choose the value of your life and the moments in it. If you decide to be more honest, open, and understanding because of your experience, it has value. In each moment you live. We are responsible for ourselves and our happiness. You can’t blame anyone else, and you can’t wait for that job, person, or experience to provide value to your life. You have to do it yourself.

Never Underestimate Your Value

We are all connected in this journey of life. We create barriers to separate ourselves from everyone else, but still, there are far more things that join us all. We are all searching for the meaning of one sort or another. Each person we come in contact with has an impact of some kind on them and us. Even if it is minimal, it is still an influence. You can decide how you let that influence affect you. Some people measure the value of their life through degrees earned, awards won, or even material possessions collected. But none of these things truly define a person’s worth. That can only be determined by the positive manner in which they affect the lives of people they come in contact with.

Look at your life and see what positive things you have contributed to the lives of others. Are people better off for your being in their life? If you doubt your contribution, then make a conscious choice to be more of an influence. It doesn’t take money, and it takes a conscious decision to make your life meaningful every minute. Simple things like honesty, encouragement, gratitude, appreciation, and joy of experience can change others’ lives. In looking to make others’ lives better, the life you really will change is your own. The answers to any problem you face might appear at this very minute, and I can’t think of anything more valuable than that.

  • “While we are postponing, life speeds by.” Seneca
  • “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” Benjamin Franklin
  • “Spare moments are the gold dust of time.” Bishop Hail
  • “I’ve always believed in savoring the moments. In the end, they are the only things we’ll have.” Anna Godbersen
  • “To do two things at once is to do neither.” Publilius Syrus
  • “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius
  • “When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.” Shannon L. Alder
  • “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” Bruce Lee