Destined for Greatness: Your Tuesday Morning Inspiration with Gerald Chinogara

This article is in living memory of my mother, Mrs Florence Chinogara who was promoted to glory on Saturday the 5th of September 2020. She was a mentor, hero, cheerleader and  friend. May her dear soul rest in eternal peace. Though I am currently feeling the heart breaking pain of losing a loved one, the present day reality is that until the glorious reunion in eternity, she is no longer physically present except in spirit, in my thoughts and heart. This is a fundamental change to my life that I have to embrace.

Although most of us have been conditioned to fear change, we must not lose sight of the fact that change is normal, and it is inevitable that at some point in our lives we will experience unpredictable changes in both our personal and professional lives. Like it or not, change is an integral part of today’s living. Those who embrace and initiate change will thrive, while those who complain and fear change may be headed for redundancy and becoming another unproductive statistic.

In the business world, changes can occur as a result of new thinking, advances in technology, innovation, knowledge, as well as mergers, takeovers, layoffs, and downsizing. Change may also lead to feelings of sadness, frustration, grief, and anger, especially when jobs are lost or worse, when an entire organization ceases to exist. In this article I will focus on how you can embrace change and make it a normal life experience in a positive and beneficial way.

The number one reason for resistance to change is fear, although very few people are willing to admit it. None of us want to acknowledge that we doubt our ability to integrate new ideas, use new technology, or adapt to a new economic order. We don’t even want to think about what’s ahead: new management, new ways of doing things, new terminology, new titles, and new job description.

No matter which category your fear falls in, one thing is for sure. The more you fight and resist the change, the more painful and frightening the changes will be. Resisting doesn’t keep a new reality or idea from taking hold; it simply makes the process longer and more painful. Change will happen no matter what. We will handle it better when we learn to move with the change and not against it.

When faced with change you must always ask yourself this important question: Does my resistance to change have anything to do with my own fears? That’s a tough question and one that’s not easy to answer honestly. It’s natural to fear the unknown and lack of control.

We know that we won’t be quite as proficient at our tasks while we’re in the process of learning to do things a new way. We know we will have to work a lot harder. Are you willing to let go of the present to embrace the future? You may not know what the future will bring, but you are responsible for what you bring to the future.

Many people are content to live their lives by playing it safe. If fear, pain, and hard work are prerequisites of change, it’s easier to understand why some people are so dedicated to resisting it.

You might be good at giving all the best sounding reasons why this particular change is not right for the department, the organization, the team, or the family. However, their underlying concern may be their fear about how the change will affect them, their job and their lives.

If you’ve been reacting negatively to change, it’s important to modify your attitude and your behavior before it’s too late. Think about what you really want. Do you really want the status quo or perhaps the good old days?

If those are the aspects you desire and waiting for, then you will probably soon be irrelevant to the order of things happening around you. If, instead, you want challenge and welcome change, you will always be a valuable resource well sought after for by many.. As I celebrate my mother’s well lived life, one thing that she did well was making a positive impact in people’s lives until she took her last break. I am one of those she  immensely impacted. You should strive to become a change agent and impact the world.