Change & Priorities

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day on this beautiful Friday morning! It is cool and rainy on the Gulf Coast as this amazing new opportunity, uh day, dawns!

This morning I want to share some excerpts and a thought with you.

The following excerpts come from an article titled Change Can Be Tough So Be Tougher by Dr. Richard Norris. You can read the entire article at leadingmenonly.com.

Whatever the change, there is always an opportunity to grow one way or another.

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

If you're alive, you will have faced change. The question is how you face it?

Few face it and embrace it. It's these few who most often are the ones who lead and succeed.

Like running into the wind, resisting change is harder.

The truth is that it's better for you to see change as your friend not your enemy. A friend wants to help you. An enemy wants to defeat you.

In the face of change, we must always respond for the best.

Whatever your own situation, you are the solution. Don't look somewhere else. Your best help starts with you. You must take ownership.

Change can be tough but it's the doorway to your greater self.

Change pushes us beyond our comfort zone. Our comfort zone nurtures our existing habits. Such habits come naturally. Such habits, however, keep us where we are at. They won't lead us to where we can ultimately be. Unless we have the mental toughness to boldly go where we haven't gone before, we'll recoil quickly back to our old ways and habits. Change requires new habits. New habits bring growth. New habits take time and effort. For new habits to replace old ones we must overcome our internal resistance. That demands focus on what is possible. It requires commitment to make it happen. It requires belief that you can.

Our ability to endure and thrive through and as a result of change relies on us being mentally tough, physically durable, emotionally resilient and spiritually strong. Our toughness needs to be holistic. In most instances, when I've not succeeded at something, it's because I lacked the mental toughness to see it through. My commitment was not 100%.

The mind is a battlefield. It's a battle that wages afresh every day. Your ally is you. Your enemy is you. Both are your inner voice. One is rooting and working for you. The other is condemning and working against you. Whichever you listen to most will win the day. Your prevailing voice will determine how change will affect you. Be mindful each day which side you are on.

Human will and determination can turn the impossible into the incredible.

One way to ensure that you come through change stronger is through managing the associated stress - be it big or small. How you manage your stress is up to you.

No matter what direction change comes from, realize that you are ultimately in control of its effect.

Maintain the right attitude and you build resilience in the face of adversity and change.

For you to deal with change, you must first deal with yourself. When you change who you are it's easier to change what you do.

Wow! There was so much great stuff presented by Dr. Norris. Going back to last week, what will we do with this information Friends?

I also wanted to speak briefly about priorities...or maybe it's values...or integrity. Oh boy, its going to be one of those days!Ultimately, here is what is moving my spirit this morning; it is really easy to say what your priorities are, what you value, however do the things you say and do on a consistent basis show that these are your priorities, your values? Are you walking in complete integrity?

A few things:
1. It is absolutely critical that we determine on the front end what our priorities are, what we value. If we wait until the "moment of truth," we can hope & pray that we will respond in accordance what we profess to be our priorities & values, however we stand very little chance of walking this out if they are not our true priorities & beliefs.

2. The true test of what our priorities & values are is how we respond in times of adversity. In complete calm it is easy to say we value something, that it is a priority however it is when the difficult decisions have to be made that we truly find out if this is true.

3. The test is coming. It is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when". If you don't determine your priorities & values, if you don't walk these out in small matters, you stand very little chance of passing the "big test."

4. Nobody can determine your priorities & values but you. And, nobody can say what the appropriate priorities & values are for another. I think this is where a lot of the problems truly stem from. We want to say the "right thing." We want to please our spouse, friends, boss, etc. so we say something is a priority or that we value something however if we truly don't, our actions will ultimately betray our words.

5. It is impossible to consistently act in a manner inconsistent with our true priorities & values. If our actions do not match our words we do not have integrity.

What Will Your Influence Be...?

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev