Change is hard to define. Some changes, such as significant weight loss or selling a house in the current market, seem to take a very long time (or at least that's what it feels like). Other changes happen instantly, irreversibly, like the loss of a loved one. Many people are highly uncomfortable with change. They hold on to things trying to avoid the inevitable. One of my grandmothers had the same hairstyle for 40 years, lived in the same house for as long, dressed in a similar manner, had many of the same friends, went to the same church, and shopped in the same grocery store. She did not like change. These all gave her a sense of security. It worked okay for her but she never grew beyond what she was 40 years prior. Holding on to the old does not keep us more secure, but for some, the familiarity is more than enough to compensate for that.

The world is in a constant state of change--weather, temperature, time, seasons, life, death, rebirth. . .there's nothing we can do to hold this change back and the most counterproductive and self defeating thing we can do is work against change.

Now in my late forties, I am making personal and professional changes myself. These changes are uncomfortable and scary, but thrilling at the same time. I am facing this fear and excitement eagerly. Growth comes from change and I'm all about growth.

We're into the new year now and it's most definitely time to assess what needs to change in your life. At the beginning of the year I wrote about resolutions. Resolutions are a nice idea. I like the clean slate that a new year can bring. But there is no time table for unexpected change and clean slates can start any time at all. Life isn't run on a timetable. Things happen without our consent. Managing this fear is truly the key to a fulfilling life.

If you're one of the many people with the fear of change, this is for you, a new start, a chance to stop robbing yourself of the opportunities available to you with a little risk.

Realize that your resistance to change is entirely emotional. Emotional resistance can be difficult to overcome, but it can absolutely be done. Emotions are choices and we have the ability to choose the fear or we have the chance to accept it and push past it. Really understanding that our emotions are choices has been somewhat of a revelation to me. It's given me a huge sense of relief and freedom over what I choose to feel in life.

We allow ennui to overtake us, a general sense of weariness, and this requires us to really want to push past it. I heard someone say the other day, 'I really wish I wanted to quit smoking.' Is this person going to quit smoking? No way. Motivation is definitely a huge factor. For some, changing can come out of a fear of losing something valuable to them (their life, their family, their job). Others have a fear of the unknown. These are both valid but regrets are seldom about things we have tried, and often about the things we were too afraid to try.

I'm making some changes in what MaxPersuasion is offering. Stay tuned for new opportunities and articles on how to expand persuasion in your life.