As I continue the daily business of personal and professional development, the question that drives me daily and at times haunts me during a sleepless night is, ‘how do I create lasting, healthy change for myself and my clients?’ Coming up with effective answers to the question can bring real joy or it can generate the most frustration I experience on a daily basis.
There is nothing that brings me greater joy than to see an individual experience a breakthrough in an IOL program. It is that amazing look on someone’s face when they get it. It is that magical moment when a person begins to believe in themselves and trust themselves to create the change they really didn’t previously believe was possible. Hope replaces fear and defeated resignation turns into a determined commitment to doing life differently. It is a powerful, miraculous moment and I am often surprised at how much it still moves me. One team member expressed it well a few years ago when they said, “I show up for the miracles.”
The real challenge in attending an IOL program is not in discovering these breakthrough moments, but transforming them into daily life. Participants often leave on a Sunday afternoon with the confidence and determination to change but are quickly faced with the old challenges and their old ways of dealing with those challenges.
So, over the next few blog entries, I will identify some of the ways you can transform breakthrough moments into lasting change.
- Be clear about the change you want. Get Focused.
One of the most important changes I want to focus on is my health. The word that keeps me focused on my personal health is wholeness. I want to give attention to all four parts of me…mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. As of right now, it is my physical self that I am hyper conscious of.
Over the past few months, Christine and I have changed our diet to a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that has helped us to lose weight and given us much more energy to deal with all the demands of our lives. Along with that we have added hiking for cardio and a personal trainer for flexibility and muscle strength. I have also begun to take supplements to support my joints and organs. It has been a few years since I have felt this fit and healthy. With all my joint pains and arthritis over the past few years, I really did not think that I would be able to run any distance for a sustained period of time. This past week I ran almost eight kilometers in just over an hour up and down some severe hills. I especially like the extra energy I have when I am leading programs.
What is the change you want to get focused on?
Terry