Riding the Wave to Success
Leaning to Surf
Change challenges us as, Charles Dickens said, so brilliantly in the Tale of Two Cities, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…… Change brings up old fears, self doubt, past wounds and for many we just want to run away and hide. But, the key to riding the wave of change is to know how to go with the flow and move your the inner blocks.
In our western culture we want to, “be in control of life.” Meaning, we try and make life bend to our will. As opposed to the eastern philosophy of flow and flexibility. In order for you to ride the wave of change successfully, you need to accept, what you can control and what you can’t control. The waves of life are constantly evolving, it is controlled chaos and yes you do have a responsibility in how you choose to deal with the constant chaos of change.
Yes, these are the best of times and the worst of times. Look around you, we are closer to worldwide democracy and yet we also live with the constant threat of terrorism. We have access to greater wealth and resource and yet we still have children starving and homelessness in wealthy nations. We have better health care and still people are dying due to preventable and curable diseases. With increased prosperity comes higher crime rates and in turn higher employment equals record layoffs. And of course more opportunities to ride the waves of change.
To be successful and to stay sane you have to change with each wave. Many of my clients spend time each year creating budgets for the following year only to find themselves surfing with the wrong board with in the first three months of the calendar year. Every wave is different; change is constant and continuos. You have to learn to surf each wave as if it was your first time to take on the big one. The rapid motion and the unrelenting pace of change adapts to your world, which makes it difficult to feel safe and secure in your own life. Job security is a thing of the past. You enter into a marriage thinking it will last forever, when in reality many marriages end after two years. We want the wave of economics to continue to be stable, but there is never enough insurance to cover every possibility. We get to a point in our lives where we want to settled down and for most of us we will be moving on average every five years. Most of my clients tell one of their biggest fears, is not having control of their lives.
“Being in control,” is very high on well-being surveys. For many, “being in control” meanings being happy, especially in the western culture. The trick to surfing the waves is to know what you can control and what you can’t. The waves of life are an evolution of evolving change and chaos. In other words, you change as the waves change and the wave changes as you change.
No matter how big or small the chaos of change you are surfing in, you have the ability to choose your thoughts, the ability to handle your emotions, you know when it is time to speak and when it is time to close your mouth. Being successful at riding the wave of change requires some discipline and the confidence in knowing when and how to assert yourself. Many people block their ability to ride the wave of success by trying to hard to be in control. When you try to control the wave you lose the ability to be creative in the moment and you stifle all possibilities of catching the next wave. Your inflexibility will lead to missed opportunities and slow down the progress of important projects. Control destroys your connections. The key to catching the next wave successfully is having the courage to let go of control. Sometimes even the best seasoned pro surfers have to remind themselves to stay in the flow. Success isn’t about being in control, it’s about being wise.
Just a thought
Teresa
