December 26, 2015
Change is Inevitable, Progress is Optional
It’s the day after Christmas and all through the house
Lay paper and boxes and crumbs for the mouse 🙂
The stockings hang empty, no gifts under the tree
Relaxing or working, back to “normal” must be.
What if “normal” was different this upcoming year?
What if we decided to live without fear,
If we chose where we really wanted to go,
To follow our hearts and change status quo?
One thing’s for certain, all things are possible,
Truly, change is inevitable, progress is optional.
You are the captain of your own journey’s end,
Now’s the time to choose your course, my friend!
I’m sitting in my living room this day after Christmas as these thoughts come to me. These words are for myself as much as anyone else, believing that this is the season of the year when we all reflect on what has been and look to the future with anticipation. From my own experience with lots of New Year’s resolutions lists that never became realities, I’ve observed that the law of inertia wins the day. Just as a refresher on the definition, here it is from thefreedictionary.com: inertia (n.)1. Physics The tendency of a body to resist acceleration; the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in straight line motion to stay in motion in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force. 2. Resistance or disinclination to motion, action, or change
The only exception to that “rule” of inertia is in the definition itself. It states, “…unless acted on by an outside force.” Ahhh. There is a way to break free from the status quo! The key is to make sure we have a catalyst, a “change agent” – someone or something to help us make the changes we really want to make. For some of us, our interactions with God will make that difference. For others, there may be systems and people in place at our workplace to help us remain accountable for the commitments we make. There may be friends, support groups, online communities that will make that difference for you. The question is, will you and I do whatever it takes to progress this year??
The biggest help for me in putting my intentions into practice has been having a life coach. That’s the reason I became one. In 2007, after battling a serious neurological disorder, having brain surgery and a long recovery, to the tune of 2 years on the couch, I was very much in need of a catalyst for breaking the power of inertia in my own life. My sense of purpose had waned and I wasn’t sure if I could really get up and do life again. There was a life coach named Chuck Bowen from San Antonio who gave me a hand up. Those weekly teleconference calls were a major life line for me. First I did a series of group sessions, then signed up for a personal one on one series of sessions with him. I only actually met him one time but I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for the difference he made in my life. Year by year now, I’m continuing to learn the secret to progressing. I know now that I must have a catalyst that is greater than the strength of my current state of being if I am to move forward in life.
This past year in June, I came on board as a full time life coach with Mosaic Life Care, an innovative healthcare organization affiliated with the Mayo Clinic network, based in the north Kansas City metro area. (www.mymosaiclifecare.org). This has been a huge source of joy to my heart and brought redemption to the years of hardship I’ve been through in the past decade. My story has meaning in this context that I previously couldn’t have imagined. Now, I am committed to always having a personal life coach myself, as well as to being one. It makes sense that if our own race of life is to be won, having a good coach would be key to that success.
With best wishes for your life, to be lived fully alive in 2014!
Terri Sullivant
816-896-6328
