Today’s risk adverse, fear filled environment makes change extremely difficult and uncomfortable for many people.
It is similar to finding yourself in a forest at dusk on a path you have never traveled before. Your day started out like any other — on a familiar path, well traveled and very safe. Then, something happened and you found yourself in a place in the woods that is clearly not recognizable or comfortable. Now, with storms on the horizon and darkness looming, fear sets in. The desire to find the safest, most efficient, and clearest path out of this mess increases. The more you think about it, the more fearful and risk adverse your become. You cannot make a mistake or you could get stuck in these woods all night. Nothing could be worse than that.
Instead of trusting your instincts to find your way out, you begin searching for the old, familiar path. You make attempts to work your way backwards from where you came to find that safe, trusty road. However, the darkness and the unfamiliar terrain make that impossible. Fear increases. Risk avoidance is magnified.
Finally, you find yourself at a fork in the road. Both have promise. Instinctively, you know the path to the left is the better path. You don’t know why, you cannot explain its attraction. Yet, you know that despite your fears and concerns, this road looks and feels right.
At first, as you journey on this road, you have concerns. You almost want to turn back to the fork in the road. Maybe you this was a bad idea after all. Then, you start to see signs of light. An open space. People. Traffic. While you didn’t find your way exactly back to where you started, you have found your way out and you are on your way home. The good news is you found your way–the better news, you found a new way in and out of the woods.
As you reflect upon the day’s adventure, you learned several important things:
- Often change comes upon us faster than we expect.
- We always need to be prepared for all types of change.
- Most changes prevent us from going back the way we came.
- When placed in this situation, trust your instincts.
- Enjoy and embrace the opportunity to be tested, challenged and to explore.
- Celebrate your success when this change provides unexpected and unanticipated benefits.
Your life, your business, and your experiences are all part of an ongoing journey. Detours, roadblocks, obstacles and failures are all part of the program. Enjoy. Learn. Grow.
