Carolyn Smagalski

Self Mastery

Founder - Editor - Host

Human beings like change.  You will often read quotes to the contrary, but the fact is that we do truly like change.  Different cars, new hairstyles, exotic and unusual food, a new home – all are pleasant results of change in your physical life.

The ability to change mentally is ever present, too.  It seems that this is the area we fight most often.  "You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change," says Les Brown. 

Changing for the better means developing new thought patterns and being open to opportunities that will lead to your ultimate action, integration of new ideas, and ultimate success.  Otto Rank says of this, "What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality."

This change sometimes requires re-inventing yourself.  Not being who you are not, but developing who you can become by conscious effort.  Expose yourself to books that expand your thinking.  Stay open to new ideas.  You cannot expect circumstances to get better for you unless you change the things in your life that are generating those debilitating circumstances. 

Here is an example:  A close friend lives in an area of poor drainage.  Unfortunately, every time it rains heavily or a significant snowfall settles on the area, she gets water in a room she calls “the recreation room.”  She is constantly cleaning up water, frustrated by the unending task that is dictated by the sloppy weather.  When it is sunny, she forgets her wet-weather challenge.  She changes nothing.  It ultimately rains heavily again at some point, and she again seems surprised that she must clean up the water.  When others recommend solutions to her saga, she creates reasons why the solutions will not work and continues to do nothing...except complain.  Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, we often create the same scenario with our work situation, business situation, or personal situation.  We frustrate ourselves because change would take some effort, but seem to ignore the wasted effort we are already expending on circumstances that frustrate us.   

Henri Bergson wrote, "To exist is to change; to change is to mature; to mature is to create oneself endlessly."

Content copyright © 2003-2008 by Carolyn Smagalski. All rights reserved.  This content was written by Carolyn Smagalski. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.  Contact Carolyn Smagalski

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