Change is an opportunity for growth-embrace it

A constant in life is change, accompanied either by growth or decay. There is no sitting still. If you are sitting still, you are in the process of decay. If we want growth, we have to choose to move rather than sitting still. It can be a scary choice.

Often, change involves risk. If you take a new job, move to a new place, try a new activity, you might not like it. The resolution would require more change. Many people stay in jobs or careers they hate simply because they know how to do the job and are making decent money. They spend time resenting the job, unhappy with what they are doing, but accepting it without question because it is easier. Change requires effort. You would have to find a different job, perhaps a different career. Start over again at the bottom. Make less money. Perhaps have less status. What if it doesn't work out?

At the other extreme are people who thrive on change. They do not settle into a rut because they are constantly heading out in new directions. They do not stay in one area long enough to master it. They are constantly looking for the next thing.

Between those who will not change and those who do constantly are the rest of us. Some change willingly, others grudgingly. But we do change. I have found that pushing oneself to change will help promote growth. There have been times when I actively seek change, scanning and networking to find a new job when I know it is time to move on. Other times, the job has just appeared. I have never regretted the choice to move on although I have regretted leaving the friendships. Now with social media, I can remain in touch with those left behind. That is truly a blessing.

Since leaving home for college, I have lived in 18 different places after I left the dorms in college. 7 of them have been homes I owned, the rest apartments. That is a lot of moving-and with the number of books I have, always a hassle. However, each of these moves has involved major changes in my life. With the houses, I always hope it will be the last move, but I recognize that I appreciate and enjoy the challenges that these changes have heralded. Although I hope not to move again, I realize that, given my track record, more relocations in the future are likely. These 18 different homes were in seven different states. My father once accused me of being a transient. I think he was correct. However, transience means I embrace the opportunity to experience new places.

Over these many years since I left for college, I have worked at more than a dozen different companies. In college, they were for short periods of time. After college, they have tended to be longer lasting. These have spanned a variety of careers as well: banking, legal, information technology, music, and dance. They have provided lots of opportunity for growth and change, particularly information technology, since that field is constantly moving.

In addition to career changes, my service opportunities have promoted a great deal of growth as well. I was a Girl Scout leader for longer than I was a scout. I managed a sing-along at the senior center (I am good with most music from 1850-1950). I have taught lots of little kids at church, ranging from 18 months to six year olds. I don't seem to get those that read. I have taught adults in a variety of classes. I have been an organist a number of times-which means I have at least learned to play adequately if not well. I am now in a leadership position that requires a lot of listening and problem solving. In our church, change is a given. Except perhaps for organists, when you are called to a position, it is with the understanding that it will probably be for only a year or two. Then you will be asked to serve in a different position. Two of the three times I was asked to be an organist, I only got released from the position by moving. Organists are harder to find than teachers.

As I look back, I am grateful I have faced the different challenges in my life. Without them, I would not have progressed as much. I would not have developed my current strengths and would not have overcome some of my weaknesses. However, there is still more to do, so there is still more growth to occur. In the end, your attitude to what happens determines how much you grow and learn from life. And sometimes, if you refuse to learn, you get more opportunities as life throws you more challenges in that area.

Embrace change. It helps you reach your dreams. If you don't know what those dreams are, start dreaming again. I believe that is why we are here.





 

Growth

We're having early spring here in Prescott because we pretty much haven't had winter. The plants are taking a chance and trees have budded and flowering trees are blooming. If we do get a winter blast, they're all in trouble. I have started my seeds for tomatoes and herbs to plant in the garden later and so my thoughts have turned to growth and new beginnings.

Plants have to take their cues from what the weather is doing. Among other things, that means if the weather is unseasonably warm, they grow early. If unseasonably cold (like in the first decades of the 1800s), they may grow late or not at all. They don't have a choice.

After you get beyond toddler stage, people have a choice about growth. Toddlers go through the stage where they start to make their own decisions which is why they can be so frustrating. Why and No are their common responses. They are learning to judge whether or not they want to do any particular activity, including eating, sleeping, trying new things. While they are continuing to grow, they are at the start of the time when they can influence how much and how far they grow based on their choices.

Many adults choose to stop growing. They do the bare minimum to get by with very few growth opportunities. They plant themselves in front of a screen, whether computer, tablet, phone or television, and are entertained. We looked through a number of houses in an open house event a couple of weeks ago. None of the homes had any books displayed, not even magazines, and at least half were still lived in. To me, that suggests that they are not really reading. I know the younger generation can do all its reading online (I do a lot of that), but these homes were not owned by people online. Only one had Internet access (at least based on equipment in the homes) so they weren't online. Although much of my reading is novels, they still offer challenges to my way of thinking.

I subscribe to a number of RSS feeds, which are automatic updates from a variety of news sources. This exposes me to headlines although I don't have to read the stories, unlike the television news when my options are to turn down the sound or change the channel. Since I do read the headlines, I have some idea of what's happening around the world because I have chosen many international news sources as well as the domestic ones. I may not like what I see, but I know I need to be aware of it since it can impact my life.

I have had a very meandering career path including: savings unit manager, piano and guitar teacher, dance teacher, school music teacher, paralegal, IT network manager, corporate Email manager, IT training, database administrator, process engineer, product manager, business unit manager, corporate secretary, business owner, buyer and merchandiser, and personal assistant. I have enjoyed all of them, but this was not a path that I would have charted in college but each change made sense and provided numerous growth opportunities. I am currently working as a personal assistant for the Pro, working as the buyer and merchandiser for the golf pro shop, providing technical and marketing assistance to him. I would never have believed that I would be doing this twenty years ago, but now it makes perfect sense.

Many of the news feeds I get concern health. These have convinced me to make changes in my lifestyle and diet. This is a different kind of growth and challenge. It means new foods and new ways of cooking. I feel like new seeds were planted, just like I have done for my garden, and they are beginning to sprout. I look forward to seeing the growth that results from these. I know that I feel better physically as a result of these changes and I am guessing that at least some of the joy I am currently experiencing is also a result.

The opposite of growth is death and stagnation. I see people who are going through the motions of living. I say it is going through the motions because the only growth in their lives is in disease. They have given up stretching their brains and their muscles. While death is inevitable, stagnation is not. The motto Carpe Diem is a great one. If we seize the day, we are choosing growth and life and not death and stagnation. So, Carpe Diem and reap the benefits of a full harvest.

Back again and musing on growth

I started this blog when life was changing, then it got crazy and I ran out of time for blogging. I started a new, very demanding job that I loved. It has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. then life threw us a curve ball, and my good husband was enticed out of retirement back to a job he left 29 years ago. The opportunity was too good to miss, so I am now between jobs, we're searching for a new house, and we've moved to Prescott, Arizona.

There is a saying that if you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it. Do we learn from history? Do I? I know that when I follow my gut, intuition, or promptings of the Spirit, the end result is always better than if I do not. I recently read Blink,by Malcom Gladwell. This is about understanding our intuition and how to enhance it and really use it successfully. There is much food for thought there. We have become so focused on the rational, the scientific, and the logical, that we discount the intuitive and emotional perceptions. I'm not great at being in tune with my emotions, but the more I learn, the more I realize that they have great power to help us lead a more meaningful life.

I re-read lots of my novels. I do this because I enjoy the characters. I re-read some of the non-fiction, but in that case, it is because I expect my reactions to the insights to have changed as I have grown. What does it say about us if we do not grow and change? I do not want to be a stagnant pool. I regularly read Scriptures because the teachings apply to me differently as I grow. What I understood at twenty is different than later. I hope I have more depth and can see more application. Much of the fiction I read teaches me of the ability each of us has to be heroic. We can make difficult choices because they are right, but not easy, because of our honor and integrity (I like epic fantasy). Is it harder to save the world (think Lord of the Rings) or to take a stand that is unpopular politically? Is it harder to face a board of directors or a child that cannot be comforted?

I loved my job. It mattered. I love my husband. He matters more than the job. I have no regrets for choosing something important to him over the job I loved. My relationship with him is lasting and that with the job is very short-term. I am currently enjoying my leisure time. I have more time to read, to cook, to ponder. This is a great blessing. Whether or not I return to paid employment or continue to take short consulting opportunities, this latest change has provided an opportunity to re-assess and the time to ponder that assessment.

Life is a great test. I will continue to study my options and work toward growth. I hope to simplify my life with these current changes by more focus on my family. I also hope to be able to continue these musings here in this blog.