I was driving home from Memphis a few weeks ago and noticed the leaves changing on the trees. It got me thinking how so many people look forward to this time of the year to see the leaves change. We look forward to the changing of the colors because of its beauty and what it brings. Cooler weather of course!
Have you been around the water cooler or coffee station and just listened? Everyone is talking about what they would change. Traffic, the way their kids are coached, how they would lead the company. We are willing to do these changes because they benefit us in a personal manner. We gain something instead of give up something.
Frances Hodgson Burnett said “At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done---then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.”
Having ran 10 marathons, 2 half Ironman’s, a full Ironman, and countless other types of races, I know exactly what this quote means. Each time I changed my training program to try and become better and faster. Sometimes I was successful and sometimes I was not. I was willing to change because I saw what I could gain. The one thing I did not change over all this time was my nutrition. I loved tailgating and my training was always during that time. No way was I going to ruin tailgating for some race. But I eventually realized I would have to give things up so that I could gain. It took many different races to realize this but for my full Ironman I gave up drinking alcohol and eating desserts so I could have better training days. I knew this would help me be successful on the course for race day. I did not like this idea but I understood it was for the best. I knew what I wanted and this was the way to get there. After the full Ironman, I felt great and wished I had trained like that for every race.
Change is an opportunity to grow and learn and be better. Change happens to us at least four times a year. Well maybe not in Louisiana but for the rest of you it does. It is the four seasons and how we look forward to each season as well. We look ahead to spring because it gets us out of the cold, windy, wintery months. It is the season of new life and a new year. Then we look to the summer so we can go to the beach or lake house and take a vacation. We look to the fall because it brings new colors and cooler weather. We actually look forward to winter for the family get togethers and sitting around the fire.
With each one of these seasons we change our outlook. If we could only adapt our personal life to this very notion of change and embrace what is thrown at us. As we go through the seasons we adapt and enjoy the moment. Let’s do the same thing with our life and enjoy and embrace the change. Look at what things can be instead of what things are. If you do not succeed the way you want, change it until you get your desired results. A lot of times change is thrust upon us. Sometimes it must be in order for us to move forward. Instead of pushing back and asking why - ask yourself why not? This change may be a better opportunity for me to grow and learn. Change is won by victors not victims; and that choice is ours.