Change You First In 2022: That’s The Plan

“Change you first.” That was one of the best pieces of advice ever given to me.

Many of us resist change. That has never been an issue for me since getting that advice. This ability to adapt and even foresee the possibility or need to change well in advance might have developed from my childhood. When it was happening, I could see neither the lesson nor the humour in it. Fast forward 30 years and the memory of relocating four times in one year, basically in the same neighbourhood, makes me smile. My mother’s fortunes ebbed and flowed throughout the 1970s and with each lowering of the financial tides, our place of abode had to change.

True Change Begins In You

Almost seven years ago, I took up a position with a not-for-profit here in Edmonton, Alberta. One of my mandates was to lead a team that brings in a fair bit of funds for the organization. Several members of this team were in their positions for 15+, 10+ and 5+ years, and had become rooted in doing things a particular way.

Here comes me on the scene, a bit younger than several, same age as most and different in many other ways. The worse part for just about every one of them was the wind of change that blew me in. To cut a long story short, I met great resistance.

Winds Of Change

Working through this period of ill-feeling, outright resentment by some, concerns by many others and, frankly, the goodbyes that were necessary with a few, I had to look back to my past experiences of change. The many relocations that we did, the job and career path change over my life up to that point, the ending and changes in relationships of all types.

The deepest reflection that I did however was looking within and asking myself, “What do I have to change to make this situation work?

Experience is a wonderful teacher, in many cases and instances it is the best university you can attend.

Watch this video on change. See whether you can identify why the most important step to changing anything – even the relationship between nations – must begin with you.

You Are Not Wrong But Can Become Much More

Here is something that I know for sure.

I know it because it has been my practice for years now. It is something that I taught my daughter. Over the years, I have watched her quietly carry it out.

Our imagination and vision are the greatest tools that we have to make a change in our lives, affairs and world.

There are many sage quotes on these tools that I could copy and paste here but I invite you to do the homework for yourself. You are also invited to start envisioning the changes to become “much more” in your:

1. Relationships at home
2. Work-life or career
3. Finances
4. Circle of friends and/or your community

I say quite often that I do not make New Year’s Resolutions or any longer set goals per se. What I do is to create a vision board for my year. Sometimes, I do several throughout the year. My boards usually have two focal points. First, Source – that which I hold sacred and the operating Force of my Life. Second, Myself and my deepest desire or a couple of desires as to who and what I want to be in my world.

My focal points never change – as some would say, it is always God and “Me” first, in that order. The desires, intentions will depend on what I would like to experience, how I would like my life to unfold in the given year.

Ask Yourself

Changing you first is sometimes mistaken to mean something is wrong with you. That is a mistake. We always have room to grow. So, when I assumed a professional position that was crying out for change, I had to also look within myself. I needed to see how those changes could be more compassionate to people whose lives and livelihood my actions were affecting.

Our life experiences today are clear signs of where changes are needed to have a different tomorrow. As we approach the end of 2021, let us check for those signs and ask yourself:

• How do I envision this ___________ being different?
• What needs to change to move this _____________ closer to my vision?
• Where do I need to start being the change that I want to see to have a different (better) experience in this ____________?

As always, should you want to talk this through this, find us on Facebook, join our private group where we can have these conversations?

Blessings,