By 3 REASONS IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON AND EMBRACE CHANGE TODAY
Angel Chernoff
Ready for another quick reality check?
This morning, as Marc and I caught ourselves resisting a recent healthy change we made to our diet and exercise regimens, I couldn’t help but appreciate the synchronicity of this short email from a course student that popped up in my inbox at the same exact time (I’m sharing this with permission):
“I just wanted to send a quick note of thanks. Today marks a full year that I’ve been eating right and working out regularly, which is, as you know, something I resisted for years. This time last year I weighed 312 pounds. When I saw my weight on the scale at the doctor’s office I knew it was time for a change. And after completing your Getting Back to Happy course and coaching sessions, along with a year of exercising my willpower and using no dieting pills or gastric bands or anything, I went back to the doctor’s office for my annual check-up. ‘199 lbs,’ my doctor said. ‘You know, your positive lifestyle change just added roughly 10 years to your life expectancy.’ My 9-year-old daughter, who came with me, grabbed my hand and said, ‘I look forward to spending those extra years with you, daddy.’”
Wow! Talk about a beautiful reminder to embrace positive change in your life.
Yes, you may feel resistance, just as Marc and I do. And it may not be easy. But we all have to stretch our comfort zones and move our lives forward.
The truth is, living is a risk. Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared and uncomfortable sometimes, then you’re not doing it right. Don’t worry about mistakes and failures, worry about what you’re giving up when you don’t even try. Worry about the life you’re not living and the opportunities you’re forgoing, as you merely exist in the safety of your comfort zone.
Give yourself permission to be one of the people who survived doing it wrong, who made mistakes, but recovered from them and grew into your strongest self.
That’s what I wish for Marc and me, and that’s what I wish for YOU.
So in a general sense, here are three good reasons it’s time for all of us to embrace change and move onward…
1. There’s plenty of life left to be lived.
It’s never too late to live a day that makes you proud. If you don’t learn anything else from this email, learn that. We get one shot at the present and we can make it great. Today is the day! There’s no age limit on changing your course, and to settle in and be stuck in a life that isn’t well is a tragic waste.
Honestly, it’s never too late or too early to be who you are capable of being. There’s no perfect time – you can simply start and stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. You can make the best or the worst of today. It’s up to you, so make the best of it. Do things that startle you. Feel things you’ve never felt before. Engage with people who help you grow. Live a life you’re proud of. And if you find that you’re not, have the courage to change things.
2. Holding on to old pain is self-abuse.
Your past has given you the strength and wisdom you have today, so celebrate it. Don’t let it haunt you. Replaying a painful memory over and over in your head is a form of self-abuse. Toxic thoughts create a toxic life. Make peace with yourself and your past.
When you heal your thoughts, you heal the health of your happiness. Now is the time to stop focusing on old problems and things you don’t want in your future. Because the more you think about them, the more you attract what you fear into your everyday experiences – you become your own worst enemy.
3. Moving on creates positive change.
You may blame everyone else and think, “Poor me! Why do all these crappy things keep happening to me?” But the only thing those scenarios all have in common is YOU. And this is GOOD news, because it means YOU alone have the power to change things, or change the way you think about things.
There is something very powerful and liberating about surrendering to change and embracing it – this is where personal growth and evolution reside.
And of course, if you’re struggling with any of this, know that you are not alone. Many of us are right there with you, working hard to feel better, think more clearly, and get our lives back on track.
