I'm sitting here at my computer getting ready for a post-holiday celebration with my husband and children, and my siblings and their spouses and extended families. I am reminded that the love and support of your family and friends is key to making any successful transition in your life or career.
Any change is difficult and we often get in our own way with the "Yeah, buts" in our heads that tell us we can't. The devil we know is better than the devil we don't know. These doubts, my friends, begin as pebbles along our paths and, if we allow them, they can grow to be boulders. If you find a boulder in your road and you can't go around it and you can't go over it and you can't go through it ... maybe you need a little help to push it out of your path so you can move forward.
For some people who are lucky enough to live with a great support system, this may seem to be an easy task. Others may have "Yeah, buts" coming at them from all directions. I'm sure you've met them ... they're the people who say you couldn't POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS about "THROWING AWAY all those years of experience" ... how COULD you WALK AWAY from doing something you're good at for which you've been well paid and go in an entirely different direction ... you're TOO OLD to play around with a new career ... is this your MID-LIFE CRISIS? I know you've all encountered those voices whether they're internal, external or a little of both.
If you don't have a good support system ... at least one solid as a rock person who believes in you ... you are likely to get close enough to touch that monumental boulder and say "what's the use -- there's no way I can do this. What ever made me think I could make a change". I can't tell you the number of people I've spoken with who tell me "I got right up to the edge of that cliff multiple times, and I was just too afraid to take the step into the unknown. So I went back to what I know ... but I still feel that something is missing." Does this sound like the dialogue with your inner voice?
Getting Your Bearings ...
Change is not easy and when you choose a path of change there is a certain amount of risk associated with it. Let's face it, there's a comfort in the status quo. It is certainly true that if you don't try you can't fail, but you'll never experience the sweet smell of success either. And down the road you may find yourself asking "what if".
If the change you've been pondering has left you unsure and exhausted ... if you find the fear of the unknown paralyzing ... there's that boulder! It's a rare person that doesn't struggle with these issues. The difference between those who take on the challenge and those who are overwhelmed by the boulder or the cliff ahead is plain and simple ... SUPPORT ... an extra pair of hands to help you push the boulder or who will hold your hand so the cliff doesn't look so terrifying.
When you have the backing of someone you trust ... someone who doesn't tell you what to do but lets you think it through and helps you weigh the possibilities ... someone who will be honest with you even if they think you won't be happy to hear his/her thoughts, suddenly you'll be able to see the boulder for the pebble it really is! If you don't have that support, you need to find it ... a family member, a good friend, a mentor, a coach or a counselor.
May all of your boulders become pebbles!
No comments:
Post a Comment