Thursday, September 10, 2009

Change Is Good

The other day I dropped my favorite teacup, rendering it no longer a safe or viable receptacle for my daily consumption of my favorite beverage. To say that I was a tad upset is an understatement. I have had that green cup for years, thought of it as kind of a good luck charm, a talisman, if you will; it is even prominently displayed on this blog and in several of the videos on my video site. For one awful moment I thought: What am I going to do without my special mug? And then I shook my head and realized how ridiculous I sounded. Eventually I got over my dismay and as I often do, sat down and gave my little ordeal some additional thought. My conclusion was that change, even when it is thrust upon us or may seem bad or ill-timed, is a good thing.

“Things don’t change, we change.”~ Henry David Thoreau

But for many people, the prospect of change, especially major change, can seem daunting, downright scary, at times. This is a perfectly natural reaction. Why? Because most of us do not like being taken out of our comfort zones. We prefer the mundane routine to the new super new CHANGE because our routine is a familiar friend, something that while far from perfect is at least not full of surprises and new challenges. This is okay, unless your desire to do more with yourself and your life.

“If you are not changing, you are not living.” ~ Mike Foster

Unless we are testing ourselves, trying new things, removing that comfortable routine from our lives, we will never see our greater potential. The best bosses or managers or supervisors or leaders will often place their charges in challenging predicaments just to see how they react, to deem if they have what it takes to be all that they can be. Again, this is not a pleasant or even enjoyable exercise, but it is one that is necessary for self-growth, personal development, and living one’s life to its fullest.

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” ~ William Shakespeare

The biggest tragedy is not to have failed or shunned change, but to never have tried. What if by playing it safe you missed out on your true calling in life? Or passed on your potential soul-mate? Change, for the better, is a good thing. But what about change that you are not ready for, or change that is forced upon you? I am one of those lemonade out of lemons guys, someone who is always viewing the glass as half-full. If change comes and you look at it in a negative light I guarantee that the results will be bad. The good news is that while we may not be able to control the changes headed our way, we can control how we deal with them. In this video, I talk about how I dealt with the loss of my special teacup and how I like to deal with other types of changes:

Change Is Good



You can’t turn on the TV these days without seeing and hearing about how messed up the world is: hunger, war, terrorism, obesity, poverty, global warming, genocide, and just plain uncontrollable anger. How can we change the world when the world’s problems seem so vast? The answer is to embrace change and change yourself, to look in the mirror and honestly assess your own individual problems and issues and areas of improvement. While we may not be able to overcome the seemingly insurmountable problems facing the world, by taking important steps in improving self, the world’s issues will be reduced by one.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no on thinks of changing himself.” ~ Tolstoy

One of the biggest fears facing many people is the fear of failure. When facing big life changes or just mini-changes that upset the balance of your world, fear of falling flat on your face, of making mistakes, of failure, is natural. The good news: Failure is okay! Why? Because when we fail we are at least trying, and from that effort comes results, feedback from which we can learn, improve, excel.

FAILING = FEEDBACK!

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ~ Albert Einstein

The other day I thought that my luck had changed in a negative way when I dropped my favorite teacup and was faced with an unexpected change. Instead, I discovered that change, unexpected or planned, big or small, is a good thing. It all depends on how you embrace it.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

31 comments:

Robin said...

Oh No! - It's a Sign! (just kidding)

What I really want to know is… have you got a new teacup? Or are you going to use a different one every day?

Cheers, Mike - Robin

Faisal Admar said...

i know exactly how you feel mike. it's really a heartache!

it happen to me before, to my mug and worse my car. but i always take it in a positive way, accept it as it's fated that way and also look at the bright side for a change.

i have changed a lot if i look back and compare myself with old me.

Rod said...

Wow! I can't believe the most famous tea cup on YouTube and thus the most famous tea cup on the internet is no more! What is this I hear about a new song? a new website? I'm so looking forward to it Mike. I totally herd what you said about change for the better and how, "there seeds came from negatives..." You hit a home run with this post Mike, kudos.

Duni said...

Sorry about your tea cup, Mike.

Are you going to replace it with an entirely different one?

It took a while for me to embrace change, but nowadays I think it's a good thing too :)

best wishes,

Duni

Ann Martin Photography BLOG said...

Someone said that it's not what happens in your life, but how you react to what happens that matters. Easy to understand and hard to put into practice. I work on it every day. Thanks for your reminder.

Rex Harris said...

Where would we be without change? Even (as you put it) when it is thrust upon us for no apparent reason, with an open mind it's something that we can take advantage of, learn from and grow. Other times it just means we need to buy a new mug! Great post Mike, awesome insight!

Ruth said...

Great post! Change can be painful, but so is regret. The difference is that regret is much bitter. I'd rather go through the pain of change than regret the great opportunities that I let pass by without taking advantage of them.

Unknown said...

robin: it is a sign, a sign that i needed to change my cup...which i have done (see video)

faisal: you seem to be able to deal with change better than most, congrats!

rod: thanks for those kind words, rod. i have so many projects percolating that i don't know where to start, but that song and site are right at the top...stay tuned...

duni: i think i will place my old, cracked cup on a shelf to admire from afar, and, yes, i have a new one (see video)

ann: how we react to everything in our lives, both good and bad, demonstrates our true being better than anything...

rex: your comment gave me a chuckle, thanks...

ruth: i agree, regret is often more devestating than difficult change...i like to keep moving, changing, growing, trying different things...living life...365


peace,

mike

Susan Blake said...

How exciting you have a new mug! Maybe that was a lesson from the Universe? Next time (mug) don't get so attached, eh? Haha! I'm really looking forward to hearing more about your new projects too! You are so right about change being a necessary part for our growth - the only constant IS change, why fight it? You know the people who do end up ill or dying! Sad folly. I change something every solstice/equinox whether I need to or not!

Cascia Talbert said...

Sorry to hear about your teacup. I've always had a problem dealing with change. This article really hit home for me.

vicy said...

Hi Mike..Sorry to hear about your favorite cup..Nways, thank you for the comment on my blog..I know there are many good people out there..I'll pray for those who are bad though..They need prayers..have a wonderful weekend!!

redkathy said...

Wonderful post and great timing too! You hit the nail on the head. It is how you embrace the failure and what you do from there. On a lighter note, you'll find a new favorite mug too... Been there done that!

Bill Lisleman said...

good advice and something we should think about.
In the beginning of the year I posted about a Honda site that's related to this subject.
failure engineering

You may already know, that change is a basic part of the universe. It's one of the laws of thermodynamics - 2nd one I think.
thanks

Robin Easton said...

Dear Mike, This is so so GOOD!!! I just love it. It resonates with me so much that I read the post twice. And I love the video. You are just so amazing. I totally relate to the special mug. When my last one broke and I found a BIGGER new one like you did, I bought two of them. LOL! :)

Mike this video is astounding! It is one of my most favorite of all, of any videos I've seen. Your honesty moved me so much; I am just SO proud of you. I love the gutsy-ness of your life story. You are the REAL deal.

I just can't tell you enough how important this whole post it. It is the best post and video on CHANGE that I've read/seen.

I love your focus on "...if we don't embrace change we may never know what who we REALLY are meant to be, who we REALLY are." I also love the part about change is going to happen no matter what. It's inevitable. You are SO right.

I know I keep telling you this and I know this comment is long, but you, mike foster, are really gifted and dynamic. I look forward to seeing what all is coming. Next week I am being offered a book contract -- if all goes well I will be signing it -- so my whole life will begin to change. I needed to hear this post. It and you moved me to tears. I truly hope that one day my husband and I get to meet you and your wife. I know my husband would really relate to your life path as he went through much the same thing. Good for you mike. Hugs, Robin

betchai said...

yes, change is good, the only constant in life is change, sometimes, it can be unnerving to face change, but if we fear it then we wouldn't have grown and become better.

kRiZcPEc said...

I'll need some time to get used to your new mug. LOL. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)

Unknown said...

suzen: the opposite of change is being in a rut...i opt for change...

cascia: the more we welcome change, the better we can deal with it...

vicy: often it's the ones that we don't feeling like helping that need our help the most...

redkathy: i think i may have found a replacement mug, but still miss my green one...ah, change, for the better?

lisleman: one of the laws of thermodynamics, huh? i may be on to something...hmmmm?

robin: wow, what an amazing comment, you flatter me. But what about your book? that is a major deal. I've been trying to get my books published for years--the best of luck and i hope it all turns out for you, robin!

betchai: fear and change can equal growth and improvement...a good thing...


peace,

mike

Unknown said...

kriz: you and me both...

peace,

mike

Maude Lynn said...

Excellent post! I'm one of those people who fights change, sometimes even the good kind. I'm working on it!

Rick (Ratty) said...

The first thing I thought was, Oh no! I've been seeing the picture with that cup for a long time. Your story afterwards is a good one though. I've been pushing myself to change a few things lately, and your post gave me a bit of an encouraging boost. Thanks!

vision2eyes@gmail.com said...

great blog keep up the good work

Unknown said...

mama zen: it is human nature to oppose change...

ratty: glad to help with your boost...and i miss that cup as much as I Miss My Hair

vision: gracias, mi amigo!


peace,

mike

SpinDiva said...

I try to always embrace change, I'm pretty flexible, but sometimes things don't always workout the way we want and we have to "adapt and overcome" as my husband likes to say. Thanks for the reminder - I do forget to be flexible sometimes.

Jackie said...

I love change and new experiences! How do you think a native Texan wound up living in Mane for 10 years?

I had always dreamed of New England, times were tough where we were, we had made some friends there. we made a decision and moved within a week.

Now Maine is a 2nd home for us. This is another great post Mike!

I did get your link added to my blog roll finally and I still have the sunflower pictures.

I will get it posted one of these days.

They were delicious!!

Peace,
Jackie

SANDY said...

Hope you and your new mug have properly bonded. lol Sorry the other broke.

Thanks for placing my advert, it's appreciated. Hope you'll swing by for a visit. The welcome mats always out.

Sandy

Unknown said...

spin diva: i like that, "adapt and overcome." flexibility is a valuable asset in any endeavor...

shinade: i grew up in new england and had to adapt to california living; i could image moving to texas would be filled with (fun and welcome) changes too...thanks for the add

sandy: me and my mug are getting alone just dandy, thanks...



peace,

mike

heidi said...

I love this! Change is one of the hardest things for me but I have found it to be the best for me too! Love the quotes!

Unknown said...

heidi: thanks for dropping by, hope all your changes are good ones...


peace,

mike

Amy said...

Oh no! I'm sorry about your favourite mug. Even if we do embrace change, we always miss our old favourites!

Unknown said...

vegetation: yes, while change is good, losing something dear to you, be it a teacup or loved one, still is something that needs to be handled...


peace,
mike

HR Recruiter said...

Exactly! I agree with you Mike. Change yourself first before changing the world. Your a brilliant man!