Tag: change

Categories
motivation

Is It Real Change If You Go Back to the “Good Old Days”?

Illustration of an Amish man at an old PC. I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week's word is "old-fashioned."

There will always be problems and issues. Frequently, when problems arise, it can be tempting to think we need to go back to the good old days. But can you really make lasting change by going back? Were the good old days ever that good?

I grew up during the Vietnam War and Watergate. I don’t think we want to go back there. Before that, it was all the riots and unrest of the sixties. In the fifties, we were in the Korean War and battling polio. And the forties? World War II. The thirties? The Great Depression.

We tend to remember only the good in a decade and tend to forget the trials and troubles each decade had. Sure, we need to learn from the past. But wishing we were back there is an exercise in futility. Nostalgia can only get us so far.

Besides, I have no desire to go back to the computers of yesterday. Who wants Windows 98 and Palm Pilots back? Anyone?

Illustration of an Amish man at an old PC. I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week's word is "old-fashioned."
Categories
motivation

Why it is so important to shake things up

Tombstone with the last name: Stuck

It caught me off guard when I saw it that Saturday morning. I was running through a cemetary because, well because Greenville Union Cemetary is the best place to run in Greenville, Ohio. It’s peaceful, there’s a long paved road and not much activity on it. The residents don’t seem to mind, either.

I was peacefully running along when I saw it in the morning sun. The tombstone stood right in front of me and was shouting a message to me.

Tombstone with the last name: Stuck

Someone was stuck, and it was me! I had attempted to revive my business that had suffered two cross-country moves. I was looking for a job that matched my skills. Nothing seemed to be working. As I stared at the message from the beyond, one thing became clear.

It was time to shake things up or stay stuck!

I didn’t feel like spending the rest of my life in the cemetery. So the only logical step was to shake things up.

That day, I changed my strategy and eventually found a job that I have loved. It has allowed me to use my graphic design skills in a management position. With the benefit of hindsight, I say the discomfort was worth it.

Looking back, I am thankful for that time. It was not because I was struggling that makes it great, but because my wife and I decided a couple of years before that to take some risks. We could have chosen to coast by for the rest of our lives and be comfortable. Instead, we took some steps by faith and shook things up.

There are many who are comfortable in their discomfort. They have settled into a situation they don’t particularly like, but feel it’s better than trying something new. It doesn’t have to be that way! No matter your age, you can try something new. It’s much better to shake things up than to be stuck and feel like you are biding your time in a figurative cemetery.

Categories
motivation

Change Comes When You Accept Responsibility

Cartoon of a dog retrieving a laptop

The other day, I had a conversation with two people at different times in the same organization.

One said, “Things aren’t the way they used to be!” And I suppose they are right. Things always change. I’ve also noticed our perceptions change over the years. We look at the past as the good old days no matter how hard or brutal they were.

The other person said to me, “Oh, that’s just the way things are here! It’s always been that way. They’ll never change!” Wait a minute! They can’t both be right. Either things have changed or they never have. They were both looking at some challenges, but had two very different perspectives.

Yet, both views had a few things in common.

  • They were frustrated and didn’t see a solution
  • They weren’t taking responsibility for a solution
  • They decided the challenges were someone else’s problem

As a person who has worked in publishing, I’ve seen many changes. I have also seen businesses that have had trouble adjusting to change. Newspapers are a big example of that. I get that the glory days of newsprint are gone. And it’s just not the same.

Cartoon of a dog retrieving a laptop

But at a certain point, organizations (which are the people within an organization) must change. The past is gone. We need to deal with the present, not live in the past.

At the same time, if a challenge has always been in an organization, it is the responsibility of each person to change for the better. Everyone has the ability to grow, adapt and improve. When each person accepts that responsibility, businesses, and organizations grow with the new and improved workforce.

We can all be change agents. Let’s make it happen!

Categories
family growth

She Speaks, Ends, and Begins Today

Photo of Paula Spear holding a cup of coffee

This morning, my bride speaks before our church. It’s her last day as a children’s pastor and first day as a speaker. It has been amazing to see her growth in the last couple of years.

It will be most interesting seeing her on the stage as she closes her time at Salem Church of God. It has been the most amazing place for us. The people have been fantastic. Paula has had great support. As she will say in her sermon, her departure doesn’t make much sense except that she is making a step by faith.

I have seen amazing growth in her since she began in children’s ministry seventeen years ago. As recent as last year, she would not have thought of speaking to the entire congregation. Yet, I have seen natural talent in her and a passion to speak and get her message out. We believe her next step involves speaking into women’s lives. It’s been a thrill to witness her transformation in the last year.

For a few weeks, I’ve been talking about change, and worry. Here is the culmination of it. We don’t know what her next step is. We do know that change is coming and starts today.

I’ve tried to behave myself the last couple of weeks so I did not become subject of a sermon illustration. We’ll see how that goes this morning! My tendency to worry and be snarky probably did not help me with this goal.

I am quite proud of my wife. She is walking and speaking by faith this morning. You can bet there will be a sketch note on her sermon. Ready or not, here we go!

Categories
motivation

Know What to Change While Persisting

Cartoon of a boy in a magician's costume and a duck. The boy says, "I'm sorry, Sis! I didn't mean to change you into a duck. I meant to turn you into a dog!"

I’ve been listening to an audiobook entitled No More Dreaded Mondays by Dan Miller.

In it, he talks about firing yourself. That’s right! He talks about knowing when to stick with something and when to move on. He’s helped me realize that perseverance and resilience are far more nuanced. There is a time for change during certain points in our lives. Yet, change doesn’t mean I am giving up in general. Many times, businesses do not work. But an astute businessperson can modify, switch and start a new business that is more successful and profitable.

This week, my wife is winding down her current position as a children’s pastor. I am excited to see what is coming because this has been several months in the making. We don’t know what is ahead for her, but we know that her journey isn’t over. She felt led to step out of her current role and identity because she is being called to a new ministry. In effect, she fired herself so she could investigate that new, upcoming, unknown role.

Dan Miller’s book has been a confirmation for me that she is making a wise, discerning choice. We shall see in the new year what that brings to her and me.

Cartoon of a boy in a magician's costume and a duck. The boy says, "I'm sorry, Sis! I didn't mean to change you into a duck. I meant to turn you into a dog!"

One thing we do know, it doesn’t involve magic tricks and nobody is changing anyone into a duck or a dog. So be encouraged!