Here is a great post by Lily Kreitinger. You can guest post as well! Read how to here.
My new favorite word is resilience. When referring to an object, it represents how far the object can stretch, or its elastic potential. When talking about people or organizations, resilience is the ability to overcome difficulties and become stronger and more flexible.
I’ve had plenty of opportunities to build resilience in my life. I am the oldest of 28 cousins, born and raised in a middle class suburban family in Mexico City. I traveled to Disneyland with my family when I was 12. It truly was the happiest place on earth. Everything was so colorful and shiny, I wanted to do cartwheels on Main Street. The food was so different! Besides Disney, my brother and I absolutely loved going to Target, Pick ‘n Save and Sam’s Club. That trip became a preview of coming attractions. Nineteen years after our family vacation to Disney, I moved to the United States.
I met an amazing American man in 2003. He turned my life 180 degrees when he asked me to marry him. I quit my job, sold my car, said goodbye to my family and friends and moved in less than a year.
It was so exciting and terrifying that I couldn’t stop and think. After many months, tears and prayers, I obtained my immigration documents and started my new life. There’s not enough time or space to describe in detail everything we went through in those hectic months, so I want to share some of the lessons I learned in the process.
Lessons Learned
- Change is here. Embrace it!
- You’re not a celebrity; you are a member of this household called humankind. The world should not adapt to you. Pull your weight and contribute.
- When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Learn the language, etiquette, values, mission and vision of those around you. Find out how your unique skills and talents can enrich that environment.
- Kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, hard work and good manners are universal. Use them!
- Longing for what you left behind will make you and those around you miserable. Live in the moment.
- Build your own mix of “the best of both worlds.” It’s a joyous ride.
- The world is not a big scary place. Explore it!
- People are surprisingly similar in many ways. Get to know them.
- Change is necessary to grow. Stop saying to yourself and your organization: This is the way we’ve always done things.
- Blessed are the flexible, they will not be bent out of shape.
Change is inevitable. You can choose how you manage it, even if there are many circumstances beyond your control. If you do not map out your life, your work, the direction for your organization or your small business, someone else will. Apply the lessons you have learned and learn from others. Be like the tree that has learned to bend with 100 mph wind gusts and you will not be uprooted and snapped in half. Change is life-giving when you know how to harness its power.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Readers’ Challenge:
- Name three major changes you have experienced in the last five years.
- Share two huge lessons you learned from one of those experiences.
- Name one other area in which you can apply the lessons you learned.
Ready, go!
Question: How do YOU manage change?
More Resources:
I like how you point out that change is necessary to grow. It’s often a scary process, but it’s necessary to move forward.
Absolutely, you come out stronger on the other end!
Three major changes I have experiences in my work in last five years:
(i) From post mortem auditing method to continuous auditing method
(ii) Manual audit binders to electronic audit binders
(iii) Traditional internal auditing to risk based internal auditing.
Two huge lessons you learned from one of those experiences:
1. Unlearning is equally important as learning
2. Change is inevitable and unavoidable; it is better to be proactive in handling change.
One other area in which I can apply the lessons I learned
A. I can apply these lessons (which I learnt in my professional life) in my personal areas of life too.
I love the unlearning! Very true!
Thanks Lily!
Subject: [closblog] Re: Blessed Are The Flexible
From a wise man in Africa: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break!”, in reference to westerners showing up and adapting to a different culture.
Learning how to deal with change is a lot less painful than fighting it. 🙂
In discussing the ability of a company to succeed, I use the term Situational Flexibility. Sometimes, there’s value in being able to adapt in a given situation, that requires the willingness to step outside the standard methods, process, or thinking we can become mired in.
Sometimes that can lead to permanent change. Yet just as often, it can be a short term change. And the same concept definitely helps me succeed in other areas of life. Some people might label it as flip-flopping, and yes, that can be true if ones motives are based purely on greed or unethical goals. that’s the key to me though – what are a person/company’s motives for that change?
Planned and focused change is helpful. Responding to the circumstances instead of reacting comes from having the resources to draw from. I agree, explaining the WHY is crucial to get people engaged!
“Blessed are the flexible, they will not be bent out of shape.” That’s my favorite on the list. It speaks to flexibility in any situation and with anyone. It speaks to adaptability and how that helps us overcome obstacles and win. Jesus modeled this for us while being beaten and crucified (aka. change) because it’s what God called him to do – for us (the prize.) He’s the ultimate teacher.
Love your insight Joel! Wow! Talk about experiencig drastic change even before birth…
Lily, I took your challenge and examined the past 5 years. It reminded me that we have a choice in how we view things. I can think “change is exciting and I love variety”. Or, I could say “change is hard and don’t mess with what works”. Life continues to provide daily opportunities to trust God.
Wow Jana, I love this! Trusting God is a huge part of it. I think that this should have been #1 on my list! Thanks for reminding me of it.
What a great post, Lily – and you have made me THINK….
Changes?
#1 – My youngest daughter (my baby girl!) got married, now has two children – what changes in 5 years!
#2 – I am in the mortgage business – can you spell C.H.A.N.G.E.? Like guidelines are changing every day! What a challenge to stay on top of this ever-moving business.
#3 – I went from a mediocre producer to the #1 producer in the company. A change for sure. In a period of just a couple of years.
Lessons?
#1 – You cannot hold on to the past – no matter how you wish you could. Give the future to God and recite Joshua 1:9! (my favorite verse) ‘
#2 – It is what it is. Adapt, accept, grow, expand, relax, pray. God is in charge – I am not.
Hey Louise! Thanks for the great comments! I’d say you’ve had your share of change…all for the best! God is definitely in charge, I really wouldn’t want it any other way. Thanks for reading and sharing!
This post reminds me of MercyMe’s song “Move”.
My favorite line:
I just might bend but I won’t break
Great song 🙂