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sound advice, from someone who cares ... 
Newsletter
september 2007
In the United States, late August and September bring with it change. It’s the end of summer and the beginning of another school year. Life seems to enter a different pace, a more serious one. Even if you aren’t associated with a school either as a student, a teacher or a staff member, you are still probably affected in some way. There is a perceptible change in daily life that affects everything from traffic volume to business activity. School buses are out and about, fall sports are underway, and the slower pace of summer has ended. It’s time to get moving again and get the show on the road. Another phase of life is about to begin.
I was never a great one for change. At 48 years of age, I’m still not, but I have realized that without change, very little growth takes place. According to the dictionary, the word change serves as both a noun and a verb. The verb change means; “to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.” The noun change is defined as; “a transformation or modification; alteration.” Think about the last significant change in your life. Was the future course of your life altered by this change? Did this change bring happiness or discontent?
No matter who we are, change will come to us. Often, we mark the big changes in our lives with a ceremony. Graduations, weddings, anniversaries, house-warming parties, birthday parties and baby showers are all examples of celebrations which mark very significant changes in people’s lives. We take pictures, invite friends, make fancy foods and buy special gifts marking these occasions. But these aren’t the only big changes that happen in people’s lives. We also experience layoffs, firings, breakups, divorces and deaths. There are no celebrations for these times. We commemorate the death of someone with a funeral, but usually this is not a time for celebration.
Whether we celebrate change or ignore it, ultimately we all have to deal with it. One of the keys to living is learning to cope with change. The more effectively we can handle change, the easier our lives will become. Okay, Uncle Spencer, so how do I do that? Well, one thing that has always helped me is thinking back on the changes in my life that were positive and lead to things I never would have imagined.
Back in 1993, I was suddenly laid-off from my job. I had three young children and there weren’t a lot of jobs in the small town where I lived. I was really worried about how I was going to support my family. I sent out a bunch of resumes and got almost no responses. So I started knocking on the doors of every business in town. I’d walk in and talk to anyone that would listen and drop off a resume to any secretary or human resource person that would accept one. I ended up getting a job that lasted right up until this past spring of 2007. And it was the best job I ever had! It was a much better opportunity than the job I had before and I was a lot happier. Had I not gotten laid-off, I wouldn’t have developed the confidence and skills to go out and find a new and better job. I would have avoided change and I would have missed out on a lot.
I’ve had to keep reminding myself of that experience this year as I embark on yet another new career path. As I learn a new job, I have my good days and my bad days, but I keep remembering that this may turn out to be something even better than I had before. Yes, there will be times of stress and times of frustration, as there is with any new position, but ultimately, there will be growth.
I’m hoping that the next big change in your life brings you happiness. And on the days it might not, drop me a question and I’ll offer you some encouragement.