You’ve likely heard Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It’s a beautiful thought that gives hope and it can be motivating! In light of a coaching conversation I recently had with someone dear to me, I’m tweaking this gem to bring this wisdom closer to home: BE the change you want to see in YOUR world. Yes, your world!
How often do we find ourselves saying: “If only ….[someone, something, etc.] would do this, then I would be happier, feel better…. [fill in the blank]? Essentially, we give our power away to something or someone we cannot control. And with all due respect, being the change we want to see in the world seems lofty. So we can start by changing OUR own world. And we can do this with relative ease, breaking down the unmanageable into small manageable steps and then taking those baby steps toward change.
Something I’ve learned in my relations with people, and sometimes with people to whom I’ve ceded my power, is that I cannot control their side of the fence. It may be messy, dysfunctional, frustrating, and downright abusive, but all I can be accountable for is my side. While I’m busy looking at them and what I’m not liking over there, what am I overlooking that is right in front of me? What can I do to change my world?
A career change starts with researching the possibilities. Reorganizing and de-cluttering begins with one shelf or one drawer. Changing a relationship starts with setting a clear boundary. We have the power to BE the change, indeed we do.
It all starts with you! What small step can you begin with right here right now to effect change? How are you the change you want to see in your world?