Showing posts with label negative change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label negative change. Show all posts

Friday, December 2, 2011

CHANGE: Some You CAN'T Change!

"CHANGE: Some You CAN'T Change!"






In my last two blog articles and podcasts I've shared some thoughts concerning CHANGES. Wow, even though the word, "change" has six letters it sure can come across as a FOUR-LETTER WORD, can't it?




Before I go any further, let me list once again four different categories of the types of changes that we encounter in our lives:




TYPES OF CHANGES: (1)Those we voluntarily bring on ourselves... (2) those that we have no choice in but are not "against" us (change of seasons, life changes due to age, etc.)... (3)those that come at us DUE TO our actions and (4) those that come to us 100% involuntarily and at no fault of our own.




In my last discussion we covered the first one listed - changes that we voluntarily bring on ourselves. If you haven't done so, you might want to go back and read that blog article as well as listen to the podcast that goes with it. You can access that podcast via my website: http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ .... just click on video podcast and then click on the iTunes icon or the RSS feed icon.




Today I'd like to talk about that second category - changes that come regardless of what we do or don't want but that are not "against" us...or at least not purposely so.




Hey, let's face it, there are some changes that come in our life that is just a part of LIVING life, right?




You can move around the country all you want to avoid the changing seasons but, whether we like it or not or whether we want it or not, the seasons DO change! I do enjoy the change from one to the other but I don't like the extreme heat and I don't enjoy the winter months for very long. Thankfully, since I live in Arkansas the winter months are not too severe and do not last long compared to other parts of the country. But, for me, once it snows one time I'm ready for Spring to arrive!




But you know what? I can complain and whine all I want and it's not going to CHANGE a thing concerning these changes. I can gripe and complain about the change in the fall and spring with the time (spring forward, fall back...or is it, uh....) but it won't do me any good if I choose to stay living in this part of the country.




But, you know what? For some, these changes DO have an adverse affect on them and there IS something that those people CAN do to change this impact upon them. MOVE!




Seriously, these things CAN be changed to your favor to some extent if you really need them to. For example, we have some older friends that now live in Arizona due to the wife having terrible arthritis. When they lived here in Arkansas her arthritis was TERRIBLE due to the humidity here but, when they would go out to Arizona for the winter her arthritis would improve greatly. So, although she couldn't get rid of her arthritis (another change that we cannot do much about or get rid of) she COULD improve her situation by living in Arizona. And that is exactly what they did - they moved to Arizona.




The same is true concerning the changing of the time. It has been proven that many suffer from greater bouts of depression during the winter months due to the extended darkness and the effects of "cabin fever" from having to stay indoors too much. These people can also improve their situation by moving to a different area of the country or world that either does not follow the time change patterns or that is in a warmer climate with extended day light hours.




So, you see, even with those changes that come our way without our choosing them, we can STILL do SOMETHING to help out IF we need to do so.




Or we can continue to whine and complain.




Shall we talk about the changes that come with getting older? Aches and pains WILL come along with fading eyesight and other problems.




It's a fact of life but there are SOME things we can do to improve our health instead of just giving up. Will we STOP these things from happening in our life? NO. But we can delay them or reduce the impact of them in and on our lives.




So, as you would think I would say about this, even if we don't have a choice in this area of CHANGE we DO have a choice concerning the IMPACT of this change.




Just give it some thought when you find yourself getting discouraged and/or complaining about such things and ask yourself if there is ANYTHING you can do to improve the situation.




I bet there is and I bet you can come up with some things if you really want to do so.




Should we even BEGIN to talk about gas prices?




That will have to wait until some other time, friend but, until then, whatever you do, wherever you are, be sure to...




"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"







Mike








Thursday, December 1, 2011

Changes: They Just Keep on Coming!

CHANGES: They Just Keep on Coming!




It's been a while since I posted my last blog article but my guess is that you have experienced several changes since that last posting, right?



As I said recently, the only constant thing about change is that it is constant! Things constantly change!



Hey, I have to brag for a moment... since my last article my wife and I (as well as our oldest son and his wife) have gone through a HUGE and WONDERFUL change! We welcomed our first little grandbaby girl into the world just a few short days ago. We told our son and his wife that their life is now changed forever - but it is a POSITIVE change that will be well worth anything and everything that comes about because of this change.



Now, you think for a few moments and try to think of how many changes have taken place in YOUR own life since my last article was posted back on November 11, 2011.



Well?



I can just about assure you that there has been more changes than you realized IF you really take the time to think about it.



Try to categorize those changes into the categories that I mentioned in my last article. In case you don't remember or don't want to go back and search, here they are:




TYPES OF CHANGES: (1)Those we voluntarily bring on ourselves... (2) those that we have no choice in but are not "against" us (change of seasons, life changes due to age, etc.)... (3)those that come at us DUE TO our actions and (4) those that come to us 100% involuntarily and at no fault of our own.


For today, let's discuss those in category 1: Those that we voluntarily bring on ourselves. A prime example would be the decision that my son and his wife made to have their first child. Voluntary for sure but a decision that will bring MAJOR CHANGE into their lives and, to be honest, not all of them will be changes that will always bring joy into their lives.


I talk to a lot of people that gripe and complain about situations in their life that, after talking to them for a bit and more information is revealed, are due to CHOICES that were made VOLUNTARILY by them! No one else FORCED them to make those decisions or choices.


I talked to a guy earlier today that wasn't complaining or griping but was telling me he was having to sell just about everything he had because he was out of work. Why was he out of work? Because he couldn't "take the crap" (his words) anymore so he quit.


It was his choice and I hope that he is happy with the choice that he made and I hope that he will be able to provide for he and his wife due to this voluntary change.


What changes have taken place in YOUR life due to YOU willingly, and voluntarily making a CHOICE that brought about this change?


Hey, bottom line: they don't always turn out the way we think, right?


Been there, done that!


So, key lesson with this: THINK AND THINK HARD BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE!


Sometimes - many times - it is the RIGHT choice that needs to be made and, at other times, it's not necessary and is due to our impatience.


Think about it, examine the changes in your life that fit this category and see if there is some way for you to make the most out of the changes that you brought into your life voluntarily.


Sometimes it takes us being HONEST with ourselves and ADMITTING that we actually are the ones responsible for those changes EVEN IF THEY DON'T TURN OUT THE WAY WE WANTED OR EXPECTED!


Fair enough?


I hope to get a few more of these articles out sooner than I have been able to do so recently so be watching and listening to the podcasts that I will be recording with them. As always you can access all of this information at my website www.FutureYouUniversity.com


Take care, friend and, as always, be sure to...


"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"



Mike