Much is said about change, that it is difficult, it’s inevitable, it’s how we grow and learn, and we like to think that during life transitions, you have a moment in time, where you can change the course of your life for better.
The only constant is change. ~ Heraclitus
Although Heraclitus spoke those words over two thousand years ago, they still ring true today. However, in our modern society, it is becoming clear that the world is changing so fast that even change itself is not constant. That is to say that the world is changing much faster than ever before and the rate of change is actually speeding up. For better or worse, change is a significant part of life and the better equipped we are to handle these changes and even learn and grow from them, the better off we’ll be. With that in mind…
Welcome to The Life Change Network!
Hi, we’re John and Deana Ryan, the co-founders of The Life Change Network! The following quote from Maya Angelou pretty much sums up our thoughts on change.
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. ~ Maya Angelou
Is it really that simple? If all we have to do to effectively deal with change is change our behaviors to fix the things we don’t like and change our attitudes to better deal with the things we can’t fix, why is change so hard? The truth is that it doesn’t have to be. Of course, some changes are easy to manage while others may be felt for the rest of our lives.
We had one of those life-altering experiences not too long ago. John’s Mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer and our lives changed overnight. We’d always been able to work through life’s many changes and challenges, but we’d never before encountered the sheer gravity of a change that hits you like a ton of bricks as it does when a loved one is so sick.
None of Us is an Island
Through this experience we learned that none of us is an island, that we must reach out to others to find the strength, resources and wisdom required to successfully navigate the changes that are an inevitable and unending part of life. And when we’re going through such changes, good advice is always welcome. One such suggestion from Deana’s parents was to be sure to “Say those things you need to say before it’s too late to say them.” These words gave John exactly what he needed to have a beautiful conversation with his mom a few weeks before she passed away. We could not be more grateful for having received this advice and acted on it.
And that’s what The Life Change Network is all about…learning from the experiences, knowledge and insights of everyone who participates in the community including our incredible featured contributors who offer their time, energy, and unique perspective by sharing their thoughts on a variety of life transitions.
We understand that life changes can be difficult. And while we encourage you to look for the learnings inside of each challenge and to find the positives in each transitions, we certainly don’t want to minimize the loss that you may feel as a result of some of these changes. Of course, not all life changes are equated with loss. Some changes are filled with joy and excitement. However, even happy changes like getting married, having a baby or starting a new business can be stressful. It is our goal to provide you with a community to help you better handle theses life changes through education as well as community that offers mental and emotional support that is practical and helpful.
Change Can be Beautiful
And we encourage you to remember that change can be beautiful. While in college, John recalls that he had lost his focus. He was getting not-so-stellar grades and seemed to have no idea where his life was headed. His parents sent him to Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within weekend seminar. To say the least, this experience changed the course of his life. Within one semester he got a 4.0 GPA and decided his goal was to keep his grades up so he could get into graduate school and get an MBA. He did just that and not only did he get is first Masters degree, he also met his wife: Deana.
As you can see, remember that challenges come with it opportunity, even if we have to dig deep to find it. As you go through life’s many changes, we encourage you to find the support you need to assist you in making these transitions easier. To that end, each month our contributors will be providing you with articles on a variety of topics related to change and we encourage you to participate in this community through the comments section of these articles.
In the meantime, best wishes for your continued success!
John and Deana Ryan
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