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LIVING BY DESIGN NEWSLETTER
by Leslie Karen Sann, MA, LCPC
V5, #7
April 19, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE
Change
= Focus + Learning + Action
Quotes
Practically Speaking
Wonder Questions
CHANGE
= FOCUS + LEARNING + ACTION
Meeting the Challenge of Change, Part 2
Life is about change. We either choose to be the
force of change because of a compelling inner desire to make a difference
in our lives, or an outside factor influencing our life has initiated the
change. In either case, change happens. The growth opportunity is to
become a competent partner in the dance of change.
Sometimes we are the initiator of change. Perhaps
you want to expand your business, improve your health, relocate, go back
to school, take a month long vacation, deepen in intimacy with your
spouse. Whenever we initiate change we involve ourselves with three
components in order to be successful.
The first component is focus. What outcome do you
desire? What do you want? This is the guiding light to the change process.
Where are you headed? What do you want to happen?
Once you know where you are going, you must assess
what it is going to take for you to get there. You must learn how to
create what you want. Learning is the second component of change.
What is learning? To learn something means you can
now do something that you were unable to do previously. For example, Rover
here is 8 weeks old and is a bundle of happy puppy energy. I tell Rover to
sit and he jumps in my lap to kiss me. "Sit Rover," and he runs
around in a circle. "Rover, sit," and Rover lies down.
Two weeks later you come to visit. I say to you,
"Watch this." I turn to Rover and say, "Rover, sit."
And Rover sits. We would say that Rover has learned to sit.
Learning changes us. Once we learn something we are
no longer the same. In order to learn we MUST change. We must become
something new. Rover is on his way to becoming a Canine Good Citizen.
A good question to ask when initiating change is,
"What do I want to become?" Perhaps you want to become lean,
firm, and healthy. What do you need to learn in order to do so? New ways
of eating? exercising?
Change is successful when we LEARN a new way of
being, when we are able to participate in life in ways we were unable to
before.
Learning is not passive. Learning involves action.
The third component to change is action. Rover learned how to sit by
taking action. Over and over he practiced until responding to the request
to sit became automatic, and Rover now sits when asked (well mostly;-).
We learn through doing. Taking action, making
mistakes, growing in competence.
It is important to remember the three components of
change: learning, focus, and action.
For things to change, we must change. We create
change by choosing a focus, learning those skills that will support us in
creating what we want, and taking action, action, action.
This is what we'll be exploring in this series of
articles.
Related Articles:
Living by Design
Series
Action, Action, Action
Turning Complaints into Action into Results
Learning from Mistakes
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QUOTES:
"Things do not change: We change"
~ Henry David Thoreau ~
"The indispensable first step to getting the
things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want."
~ Ben Stein ~
"It only takes one person to change your
life -- you."
~ Ruth Casey ~
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PRACTICALLY SPEAKING:
- Think of an area in your life that you would like
to be different. Ask yourself, "What do I want?" Allow
yourself to be very clear and honest as to what it is you would like
to be different. Allow yourself to express your desired outcome as
clearly and specifically as possible.
- Take time to evaluate your current situation. Do
you have what it takes to manifest what you want? Is there anything
you need to learn in order to move towards that which you desire?
- What actions do you need to take if you want to
have what you want? Design an action plan and go for it.
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WONDER QUESTIONS:
- Are you willing to do what it takes to invite the
changes you would like into your life?
- If 'things' are to change - how might you change
to allow that change?
- Are you willing to be a creative force in your
life?
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COPYRIGHT/CONTACT INFO/REPRINT PERMISSION
c Copyright 2005 by Leslie Karen Sann, Living by Design
Visit this link for contact information:
leslie@living-bydesign.com
Reprint permission granted in part or whole when the following credit appears in full:
Copyright 2005 by Leslie Karen Sann,
Living by Design.All rights reserved.
Web site. http://www.living-bydesign.com
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