Do something not nothing

July 17, 2012 — 2 Comments

 Get out of your comfort zone

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 In this upside-down world you have only two options. You can choose
to stand helplessly, waiting for somebody else to take care of you,
or you can analyze the situation and do something yourself.
Ken Davis | Fully Alive, p. 34

It is always amazing to talk to people who say they want change but aren’t willing to do anything differently. I’ve seen this attitude in individuals, organizations, and churches. The mere mention of approaching a situation from a different perspective results in polite nods that are intended to hide the “it ain’t happening here” reality.

Why do people (and organizations) stick to philosophies and plans that obviously haven’t worked? The short answer is, “They are crazy!” There is, however, more to it than that.

People resist change because it challenges their power grid. We all live in a world where the power structure is obvious. We know who is more powerful and we know who is less powerful. Because many people crave power more than progress, they resist any idea that has the potential to disrupt the status quo. In other words, if moving forward with a brilliant idea puts my position of power in jeopardy, I’ll stick with what doesn’t work.

Have you been there? Maybe you’re there right now. You see your present situation as having limited potential because the power grid is being protected by people more powerful than you. You, however, have some choices.

  • Make a decision to get out of the rut.
  • Take stock of your why and the possibilities it entails.
  • Formulate a transition plan that moves you toward the future.
  • Set a deadline for bringing your why to life.
  • And then do it!

We are victims of nothing more than the decisions we make. When we choose to stay in a situation in spite of the lid it puts on our lives, we are to blame. You can do nothing or do something. What’s your choice? Think about it.

What is something you can do today to move you toward living your why?

NEWS: The Live Your Why Podcast will soon be available. If you have a question you’d like to have answered on the podcast, call 41LIVEWHY0 (415.483.9490) and leave your question or email it through the podcast link. You might hear it answered on an upcoming episode.

In How to get out of a rut, Purpose , , , ,
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  • http://www.facebook.com/meg.renicker Meg Renicker

    I see all the options that people have today to make decisions, so many social services.  I was an abused wife for so many years, before there were shelters, or 1-800 #s to call for help, which means that as a child I was raised in abuse with no outlets either.  It has taken me so many years to even see myself as valuable in any context and taking it slow and deliberate is the only way I can make progress or plans of any sort.  Please don’t be too hard on the people not making changes, it isn’t always them who are crazy, often its the craziness around them that is causing them to appear so.  Change is scary and they need to know that it can be successfully accomplished.  It all seems obvious when it isn’t happening to me, but when it is happening to me I can become too paralyzed to make that first move.

    Thanks, good topic.

    • http://www.liveyourwhy.net/ Terry Hadaway

      Great comment, Meg. Everyone approaches change at a different pace. That’s why it’s important to live your why, not someone else’s why! Thanks.