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Words of Wisdom 99 on changing course meaningful action part six.
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When setting out to start something, it is exceedingly valuable to
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follow your initial excitement, curiosity, and convictions.
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The future is unknown, which means something you start, whether it be a
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project, a relationship, a business, or a belief may not end up being as
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worthwhile as you initially thought.
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In fact, the more things you start, the more likely it is
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that you'll hit a dead end.
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You must be willing to change plans.
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Don't let your pride prevent you from changing your mind.
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Don't let your fear of what other people think fortify you against changing course.
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Don't let all of the effort or money that you have already put into
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something keep you from walking away.
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Don't let the good keep you from the truly great.
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Don't let your decisions from the past determine what you do today.
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It's a prison of foolishness to be unwilling to change your mind.
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this often means it is great to start things and not finish them.
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While there is certainly value in having the fortitude to persevere
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and finish what you start, if what you started is a dead end or needs
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to die because now you know something you didn't before, this is progress.
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And when it comes to creative work, often you will find something you
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started and then scrapped initially that just needs more time or a different
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perspective before you can return to it.
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So be willing to start things with excitement and then scrap them.
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If you learn from the process, accept what you have learned, don't
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tie your identity to what you do.
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This approach fits well with last week's idea to commit to small practices.
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It's good to explore your curiosity, commit to small practices, and
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be willing to abandon them.
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This collection of mindsets allows you to try new things and not
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get stuck in an unhelpful rutt.
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Sometimes the new practice will last, and sometimes it won't stay
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flexible and passionately curious.
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And stay committed to hard work.
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But remember, having a consistent practice has a compounding growth, so don't abandon
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something simply because it's rough going.
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Your time is valuable.
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If something is not the best course of action, then it doesn't matter how much
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time it costs you to get to this point.
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The most valuable thing you can do is free up your time, energy, attention, and money
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to invest yourself in a new direction.
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The key to knowing whether to change course or not is to
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identify where the problem lies.
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You may only need to make small iterative changes to unlock a powerful
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transformation, but if the problem lies at the root, cut down the entire tree.
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Quotes "Mental health, contemporary psychiatrists tell us, consists of
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the ability to adapt to the inevitable stresses and misfortunes of life.
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It does not mean freedom from anxiety and depression, but only the ability to cope
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with these afflictions in a healthy way.
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" An outstanding feature of successful adaptation", writes
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George Vaillant, " is that it leaves the way open for future growth."
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End quote.
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Of course, Abraham Lincoln's capacity for growth would prove enormous."
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by Doris Kerns Goodwin in her fascinating book about Abraham
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Team of rivals.
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Anxiety increases in intensity when a person's internal narrative is
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filled with harsh judgments around good and bad, right and wrong.
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What we say to ourselves influences how we think about ourselves, what we
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communicate to others, and how much we believe in our competence and worth.
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Anxiety is further amplified when a person's internal narrative is
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overloaded with generalizations always, never forever, everything,
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nothing by Jill Weber in her book.
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Be Calm Questions.
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What is something you are avoiding changing your mind about?
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What fears do you have if you change course?
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What is the potential opportunity of changing course?
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Looking back, what are you most grateful for that you changed course on?
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How can you apply what you learned to your current situation?
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Use these questions as a journal prompt and to guide your prayers this week.
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End note.
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Don't let limiting beliefs keep you from changing directions in life, or changing
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the narratives that you choose to believe.
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You likely have far more capacity for growth than you think.
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Live wisely.
