Dealing with change can be a challenge. Before we discuss how to deal with change we need to define what is change. The Oxford online dictionary defines change as something to “make or become different”. I define change “as an event, or series of events that has the potential to cause one to do something different or differently, or that impacts one’s energy.”
Change can be something minor, or something major. It can be temporary or permanent. What is “minor” or “major” change? How can change be “temporary” or “permanent”? Both are good questions. Minor change could be a flat tire on your way home from work. Major change could be changing jobs. A flat tire would be something temporary, while a job change is likely more permanent.
I divide change into three categories: Global, Regional, and Personal. Global change would be something that effects the whole planet, such as climate change. Regional change would be something that effects a specific regions, such as a drought or a natural disaster. Personal could be something a simple as attending a survival expo, or as mentioned above, a job change.
Change is neutral, it is neither positive or negative, it just “is”. How we cope with change (or its effect on us can be positive or negative. How it impacts us is tempered by how “ready” we are for change.
How can we “prepare” for change? We can prepare for change by; Perceiving change, Preparing for change, and Embracing for change. We often do this every day in our daily lives. When we watch the weather on TV, or listen to it on the radio, we hear about rain the next day. We have now “Perceived” that the weather is going to change.
Now we can “Prepare” for the changing weather. The next day, we wear clothes that will help us live through the rain, or we can carry an umbrella. We prepared for change.The fact that we took steps to live through the rain, indicates that we have Embraced the change. We could fight the change (e.g. the rain) by not wearing appropriate clothes or not using an umbrella, but what would it really gain us-a cold, maybe? We aren’t going to change the fact that it is going to rain (or at least the majority of us are not able to).When we embrace the fact that change is and will occur, it results in our ability to live through the change. Embracing change also helps us mentally as well. If we accept that it is going to rain, when it does, the impact on us is significantly reduced.
Perceiving change is coming, and what that change is, helps us to Prepare for change-which in turn allows us to more easily Embrace the change. All of which helps us to reduce the fear that is often associated with changes. [See Fear need not be an enemy blog post].
Change can help us by causing us to focus on a situation or problem, determining possible courses of action, and then preparing for it. Don’t let change effect you, effect the change. If we are ready and accept the fact that changes are going to occur, we have already taken the first steps in living through any type of crisis.
Contact Great Living Survival for classes on Dealing with Change, and many more.
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