Learning to read the waves of change is about you learning about your power – and claiming it.
Public schools were created to provide businesses with good workers. Ones that show up on time to do the work they are told to do – and don’t ask too many questions.
This is a core cultural definition of a good employee.
And for the most part, the traditional big businesses still like it that way.
While over the last few years, there has been a move to more creativity and thinking staff, it hasn’t been totally embraced by schools because you can’t test for competency on reading the waves of change using a standardized test.
When you get good at reading the waves of change, you realize you have endless options – even when at surface level you feel stuck in a situation.
You almost always have a variety of actions you can take, attitudes you can assume and emotions you can feel. All of these options can impact the richness of your life and your sense of power.
When you begin to realize this endless abundance of choices and potential paths of impact exist, you can step into more of a creator role with your life.
While impact-launching experiences happen all the time, there are moments of big changes that can be life changing.
For example, a few years ago, I felt like my back was against the wall dealing with my mom after my dad had died.
Dad had Alzheimer’s for 12 years. I was the primary support for my mom. Ten phone calls per day were not unusual near the end.
After Dad’s death, we were both burned out and unhappy.
Mom took an unexpected trip to visit my brother and his family in TN.
A friend and I got together and started to play the impact of impact of impact game focused on my continued support of my mom.
What was possible? What would that mean? For me? For her? (We were reading the waves of change.)
As we toyed with ideas, my friend kept circling back to an option I would never predict in a million years.
What if my mom MOVED to Tennessee to be near my brother and his family?
The change was a potential decision made by my mom and brother – not me.
My mind reeled at my friend’s insistence about a potential move.
How could this be? Why would it happen? How did I feel? How would it impact my life?
An endless circle consumed me as I continued to play with the waves of change that might happen if that decision was made.
A week later, minutes after I picked her up at the airport, Mom told me she was moving.
What my friend predicted was indeed happening – and I had no say in the manner.
If I had not played with the potential impacts in advance, I would have been stunned, reeling, mad and fighting something that would launch a new positive chapter in my life.
I didn’t get to choose the change.
The old me, the “good daughter,” didn’t like Mom’s upcoming move. Why wasn’t I enough?
However, thanks to my practice of reading the waves of change, I was prepared for the possibility.
I was able to respond and act in a loving and centered way that helped propel both of us to a much better place.
The details don’t matter. Here is the bottom line.
You always have choices you can make – even if, especially if, it’s simply how you emotionally respond to what is going on around you.
When you learn to read the waves of change and explore the potential for impact and more impact, you are building your personal power.
The world becomes more of your choice.
Leading from power, even living from a place of personal power, is a new experience for most of us.
We’ve been taught the rules and follow most of them. It’s scary and easy to slide back into how we’ve always done things.
That’s why it is extra important to learn how to read the waves of change AND find a group to do it with.
(A diversity in points of view makes for a richer analysis of potential impacts.)
You know we live in disruptive times with changes coming from all directions.
No one is going to look out for you as well as you can look out for you.
But you can’t look out for you – if you don’t know how to do it.
Playing with the future, creating in the unknown, reading the waves of change – it’s all a new language and set of skills for you to learn.
The more you practice, the more you’ll realize that every day, in fact, multiple times during the day, you make decisions you could have read the waves for in advance.
As you build your skills, you’ll also find you can read the waves and spin out potential impacts in mere moments.
The deeper the level of impacts you analyze, the more you get to choose – and life feels very different. Like you are almost in charge or something!
Here’s another state secret some won’t want you to know…
Almost everyone can read the waves of change with ease – once you know what you are doing.
It’s not that hard to do.
There are not hard right answers – like a spelling test or final exam.
You are limited only by your creativity – and your confidence.
You can build these self-empowering muscles to help you see the world with new eyes – and be able to do something about it.
If you are willing, it’s possible to let go of being a victim – even in the face of so many changes, unknowns and sense of no control.
Now more than ever, it’s critical for you as a leader and a human, to build your future-exploring skills.
Do it while there is time to strengthen your skills before driverless cars take over our roads, AIs absorb many jobs – and the world feels based on quicksand.
Build your skills and get ahead of all of these waves of change. See what’s coming your way and play with what feels like a positive path for you and your association.
Put yourself in the position to be a chooser.
If you don’t know how to read the waves of change or play in the future with confidence, come to one of my free 30-minute webinars. I’ll teach you what you need to know to get started.
Together we can create a future of endless possibilities. What path will you and your association choose?
– Cynthia
If you want these posts sent to your inbox on Wednesday mornings, sign up for Wake Up Wednesdays!
Cynthia D’Amour