HOW TO STOP FEARING BIG CHANGES.doc

此文档收集于网络，如有侵权，请联系网站删除How to Stop Fearing Big ChangesTransitions arent always easy. But everyone has to face them at one time or another. Ive gone through a lot of big changes in my life. Some were bad, some were good. Each time I faced that point of transition when things started to change, I would take a step back, pause for a moment and remind myself that there would be something good waiting for me on the other side of the transition.Its that thought of something good waiting for me on the other side that helps so much. That reminder that things will be better makes the big change more palatable.Something Ive learned is that the change or transition itself isnt very frightening. Whats scary is the thought of ending up in a miserable place by the time you get through it.The thought of ending up somewhere terrible used to prevent me from making necessary and useful changes. For instance, over ten years ago I decided to move almost 300 miles away from the city I grew up in to a major metropolis. It was a decision Id contemplated for years, but I never had found the courage to do it.I wasnt afraid of the change. In fact, it was the opposite. I wanted to go through this transition to make the change happen.What scared me was the thought of all these terrible things happening to me once I had made the transition. I was afraid I would spend all this money moving only to end up jobless and alone in a big city. What if it turned out to be a huge mistake in the end?Of course, that never happened.My worst fears never came true. By the time I had reached the other side of the transition, I had gained more than I even expected. Not only did I find a job and make a lot of new friends, but also met a woman who I would eventually go on to marry.The experience of moving to a big city changed how I see transitions and life changes.No longer do I fear a transition because of what I imagine might be waiting for me on the other side. I dont worry about all the bad things that could happen to me. There are no worst-case scenarios playing out on in my head.Now I prefer to think of things in terms of best-case scenarios. What will be the best possible outcome waiting for me on the other side of this life change? Its helped build a lot of faith in my decisions for change.I find that there are three things that really help me build this faith in the other side of big changes:Trust in yourself and your abilities.All changes require good decision-making. You need to trust that you know the best decisions for your life and that the choices you make will be the correct ones.Whether its quitting your job to find something better or moving to another country, youre going to face a lot of new challenges and obstacles.Most people underestimate their ability to successfully make it through a hard transition. But often you have more skills and abilities than you realize.The worst-case scenario wont happen.Right before you decide to take a chance, embrace that change and make a bold step towards something you want, a nasty thought will pop into your head. Its the shrill lingering thought that something absolutely horrible will happen if you do it.These are the worst-case scenarios. You tell yourself, “if I quit my job, Ill end up penniless and homeless.” Or you think, “Traveling will only get me kidnapped or murdered.”For some reason, these thoughts are easy to think. Whats harder is imagining the other side of the transition as something good. The other side can be an opportunity for growth and your ticket to a better life.Worst-case scenarios happen so rarely that you might as well be afraid of being struck by lightning. Thinking of all the bad things waiting for you will only prevent you from taking necessary actions to change your life.Above all: remain optimistic.Like I said earlier, thinking that the other side will be worse is often a greater fear than the actual change itself. So remaining optimistic about your transition is necessary to make sure that fear doesnt creep inside your head.Depending on how long your transition takes, it could be a while before you see the end. You need to keep believing things will be okay. Your optimism will keep you working towards the other side.The minute you turn pessimistic, you start to expect things to go badly. And once you expect things to go badly, they often will.Make your change happen.As I continue on through my life, I expect to continue making more and more decisions about where I want things to go. That will mean a lot more transitions and changes to come. But now I have faith that the other side of those transitions and changes will