ARE,YOU,CHANGE,CATALYST,amp,#6 business, insurance ARE YOU A CHANGE CATALYST?

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"Time does not exist except for change." Aristotle"The range of what we think and do is limited by what we failto notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to noticethere is little we can do to change until we notice how failing tonotice shapes our thoughts and deeds." R. D. Laing"When two people in business always agree, one of them isunnecessary." William Wrigley, Jr.Change...................how do you react when you hear that word?Personally, I tend to have a bimodal response of excitement andapprehension. While there is a wide range of how people entertainand respond to change - from little appetite for it with very longchange cycles to a significant need for change every few years - Ithink it's safe to say that we all prefer to be the initiator ofchange rather than having change thrust upon us.That's why it's so important to look at one's own willingness to bea change catalyst. I find it fascinating that the word "change"comes from the old English "cambium" which means "becoming." For there is no life without growth or "becoming" - thus, like itor not, we must embrace and accept change unless, we want to livelife in a numbed or deadened state. Discovering ways to anticipateand embrace change is a key competency of emotional intelligence. After all, whenever we don't get what we want we have to changecourse. The process of "becoming" is enlivening and indeed critical forlife. To be human is, by definition, to continually integrate tohigher levels of complexity, an ability conferred by the incrediblenervous system humans have evolved, with its' multiple iterationsof intelligence: from the residual reptilian brain (instincts) tothe limbic (emotional) brain to the cerebral neo-cortex. If we're alive, our nervous systems are continuously driving us tohigher levels of integration. If we embrace that drive, we willbecome a more whole person. If not, we become unhealthy (on somelevel) and eventually die. Harsh as that may sound, it's just alaw of nature. Ask yourself: "How alive do I feel?" "Am I present to the possibilities of the moment or am I dwelling on what isn't happening or what I wish would happen?"Change catalysts generate movement. Movement is life, even if it'snot always in the right direction. Movement is better thanstuck-ness. "Becoming" and change produce movement that is guided by purpose,moment that is on purpose, movement that is driven by intention. Movement without purpose is only activity while movement withpurpose is change.Here are some ways to know if you're a change catalyst:1. Do you take your discontent as information that something needsto change?2. Do you take your complaints and transform them into constructivecriticism and suggestions for improvement?3. Do you personally lead change initiatives or wait for others todo it?4. Do you continue to advocate change even if you meet resistanceor opposition?5. Are you willing to tolerate the discomfort that occurs in thetransition from the old to the new?If you'd like to catalyze more change for your self or others, hereare some things that can serve as catalysts for you individually orfor groups in which you want to be a catalyst: *Give and get authentic feedback. *Create a force field of environments that support and reinforce the direction in which you want to move. *Continue to visualize what you want to create - we know that the subconscious brain starts paying attention to those things in the environment that we place in the foreground of our consciousness. *Create some cognitive dissonance by bringing more diversity into your life so that you interact with ideas, people, and situations that challenge your beliefs about how reality is. When you do this, you allow yourself to open to new possibilities.This article wouldn't be complete, of course, if I didn't say thatwhen change isn't happening the way we want, acceptance andpatience can be the greatest virtues. For, as Buckminster Fuller said, ""You never change things byfighting the existing reality. To change something, build a newmodel that makes the existing model obsolete."Here's a challenge: Use this next month to change something about which you've been discontent or perhaps have been putting off moving forward on! Create some new movement in your life or your team'slife, and pay attention to the new possibilities that open up!*******************************************************FURTHER ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE!1. Buy a book you've been wanting to read for a while or check outsomething that's been persisting in the back of your mind.2. Do something atypical for you! Make a (small) mistakeintentionally like wearing two mismatched socks, and see whathappens!3. Increase your self-awareness. Assessments are a great way togain insight about our preferences. Armed with this knowledge, youcan better leverage your strengths and manage your frailties tobring about the change you desire. To learn about how ourassessments can help you, click here http://www.arond-thomas.com/assessments. 4. To learn more about our leadership and career transitioncoaching and our consultations for helping teams/organizationsmanage change optimally, visithttp://www.arond-thomas.com/services. (c) Copyright 2003. Manya Arond-Thomas, all rights reserved.