CHANGE

I am fascinated by change. Change is hard, but it is so necessary. We see it everywhere. It's inevitable. It seems to be surrounding me in my life now--family moving, graduation, looking for a new job, traveling, moving sometime soon, etc. :) Change is about innovation and becoming better. We need to look for ways to change ourselves for the better and help influence others as well. Good leaders understand that they must prepare others for changes and help them adapt, but they can also help to influence others to change.

I am taking a great class this semester where one of the authors of the book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything is teaching us how to influence change. It's a great book. I have learned a lot going through it and realizing how important it is to understand how we can influence others and make positive changes in our own lives. It all comes back to two main questions we must ask:

• Do I want to do it? (motivation)
• Can I do it? (ability)

There are three levels to each of these questions: personal, social, and structural. We can have personal motivation and ability, use social motivation and ability, and put some structural motivation and abilities in place to help influence change. I am learning how important each of these principles are and I believe we can make a difference for good as we understand these processes better.

I had a profound insight while sitting in class tonight. We need to be open and ALLOW other people to change. I think that too often we assume that we know and understand everything about a person, when really we are all changing everyday (or we should be). I think that sometimes we look forward to and welcome change or moving to a new place or situation because it will give us the opportunity to start over and almost be a whole new person. :) What if we each really cared about each other's progress and understood better that we all change everyday? I think we would be better able to help each other succeed and improve and progress.

After all, the purpose of this life is to change and become better.....to repent and become like God (who never changes). :) Interesting. :) There are so many neat scriptures about hearts that are changed (because of the Atonement): Mosiah 5:2, Alma 5:12-26, Alma 19:33, Helaman 15:7. I think that's where it begins. I know that we have the power to change our lives and change the world! :)