Letters on Life #10 September 2003 EMBRACE CHANGE

We all have a unique way of communicating our story, a way that reflects our life experience. The photographer uses a camera, artist a brush, and musician a melody or rhythm. But as years go by our story changes. We look through a different filter, paint with a different color, sing a different song or feel a different rhythm. This past June family members came from all over country to celebrate my son's graduation from high school. While sitting on baseball field with picturesque mountains in background, memories of parenting flooded my mind. I thought about how rapidly my children had changed and how I had to let go of some of my expectations in order to stay connected with them. As I eagerly awaited moment of my son's graduation, valedictorian read an inspiring poem and a few students performed original inspirational songs for occasion. And then principal addressed students and their families. She made reference to Spencer Johnson's classic parable about change, "Who Moved My Cheese." It is a paradox of life that while our children change rapidly, we as adults try to put brakes on speed of change. We like to think to some degree we are in control of our life by holding on to what we're used too. "No," Hem quickly responded. "I like it here. It's comfortable. It's what I know. Besides it's dangerous out there." Johnson, Spencer "Who Moved My Cheese?"

Of course you have, everyone has, myself included.

The trouble is, whatever thing is that you ‘really should do’, will just stay as some wishy washy task sometime in future.

It’s a goal achievement killer, an eternal get-out clause, because ‘I should’ is usually followed by ‘but I can’t because…’, or until, or unless, etc, etc

For goal achievement to work, goal needs to be clearly defined, you need to desire goal badly enough, and you need to believe for certain that it will happen.

Without these 3 in place, your goal will stay stuck at ‘I should’ stage.

Once you *do* have definition, desire, and belief in place though, you will realise that ‘I should’ changes to ‘I must’, or goal will not come to fruition.

This is progress, but to move on, you need your attitude to be correct, another goal achievement essential.

If you are at ‘I must’ stage, then your attitude is in right direction, but you need to realise that your goal will not happen without action, which is one of, if not *the* most important secret of success.

Action unleashes power. Power within yourself, and also external power, bringing unplanned opportunites to your door.