Embrace Change

By Valorie Burton
Author and Motivational Speaker

CBN.com – 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?

A sought-after life coach and speaker, Valorie Burton seeks to inspire people to live more fulfilling, less stressful lives. She is the author of Listen to Your Life, What’s Really Holding You Back?, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards, Why Not You? 28 Days to Authentic Confidence, and How Did I Get So Busy?.