Embrace Change:
7 How-To’s

Mirjam Stoffels

Most people like to stay in their comfort zone. Most people are averse to change. But think about it… Change is inevitable!

At this very moment, for instance, your body and cells are changing. The earth, economy, technology, how we do business, and even how we communicate is changing. You can choose to resist these changes and ultimately you’ll be swept away by them.

I discovered that change is an unavoidable fact when, several years back, I lost my job. Instead of letting that fact ruin my life, I took the the chance to do two things: I got self employed and started working together with the love of my live Marcel in his business. And I love what that brought me!

Don’t get me wrong: I certainly didn’t like being fired, but since then I discovered a lot about how to survive coping with huge transformations. More than any other, I discovered that one single attribute is critical when it comes to embracing change: attitude. Great people are always looking for ways to change, ways to grow. You’re either getting better or getting worse. And if you’re staying the same you’re getting worse…

So here are seven how-to’s to embrace change:

 
#1
Ignore your inner reptile
There’s a part of the human mind, the amygdala, that is often referred to as the ‘lizard brain’, because it existed in even the earliest land animals. The lizard brains only concern is survival. The lizard brain is resistance. That voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise. This was a handy function to have when deviating from the familiar path to the watering hole may have led to an encounter with a saber-toothed tiger. But in the modern world it’s like a misfiring car alarm: pointless and annoying.

 
#2
Don’t look back
Do not dwell on the past. Other than noting lessons learned, prefer to put your energy into the present. Focus on the new and talk about what’s next. Talk about and think about what is coming. Thinking about what’s next is the thing that pushes us forward!

 
#3
Say ‘Really?’ a lot!
When you start to turn the sudden shift in your life to your advantage, you’ll shake up a lot of people. Especially the ones who aren’t happy with how they’re living. To them, your efforts to move forward feel like a glaring searchlight that needs to be switched off. Respond with a ‘Really?’ every time they warn you of the terrible fates that will surely befall you if you dive headlong into a new life. Alternatively, ‘Oh, yeah?’ works, too.

 
#4
Be bold
Set your goals and dream big. And then believe in the goals and in your ability to achieve them. If you don’t believe, if you don’t stretch and if you don’t set your aim at bold goals, you have no chance to reach them. I mentioned ‘attitude’ earlier and this is the core of it. You have to have the attitude to overcome the fear of change.

 
#5
Don’t be scared
Overcome your fear of change. Embracing change can be intimidating. As people get older as a person they often become more risk adverse—not willing to make changes. But not taking risks is, in itself, a risk. Again it comes back to attitude: you can be old at 30 or young at 70. The actual calendar years have little to do with the attitude that defines a person. Aging well is based on two things: curiosity and a desire to do better [or continuous change].

 
#6
Accept change
Instead of resisting, allow the change to unfold. Try to understand what’s transforming and why. Circumstances never turn out the way you want them to, and that is perfectly all right. Embracing the situation can help you deal with the change effectively, make the necessary shifts in your life to embrace the change, and help you move forward after the event.

 
#7
Embrace the wisdom
The more you allow change and impermanence in your life, the more you will grow as a person. Embracing change brings newfound strengths. When you proactively embrace change and learn to accept it as a part of life, you are filled with more calmness, peace, and courage. When life fails to shake you up with its twists and turns, you realize that changes can’t break you. You’ve reached a level of understanding in life that some might even call wisdom.

 
The bottom line: learning from the past has its place, but the key to growth and success lies in embracing change, not resting on your accomplishments.

 

 
‘Sharing is caring!’
Have you gone through any changes lately? How did you handle them?
Please leave your wisdom in the commentbox below!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, author of ‘Daily Little Secrets to Success’ and guest blogger at Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, I want to inspire you with our content! Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! I’d love to connect!  And do you want to inspire other women? Write for us!

 
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