How Your Surroundings Can Limit The Speed Of Change Even If You Want To Change!

It is natural and should be a common need for people to want change from certain systems. Systems that are aged, boring and inefficient. One philosopher once wrote, ‘human race has this great speed of change for they have brought civilization in such a short period of time’. Yes we are known for innovation; actually change/civilization is what separates us from ordinary living things.

When we are born we don’t have the ability to choose families to belong to. Along with that, being Africans, we have a limited capacity to choose the kind of people we want to be as we live our lives from birth. The surrounding conditions and the close-grooming people do that for us. However the course has to change as we grow up, we’ve got to take responsibility and own up. We’ve got to make radical decisions and decide upon what we want to be and work in that direction. This is why I’m penning about #change in this article….

Almost ninety percent of the world’s population needs to change today. About sixty percent of these are conscious of this but only less than a tenth is effecting this change. What’s disappointing is; in this tenth, about 3 quarters will soon quit and so, about 3% is changing. Why? We wonder.

Criticism

Change is difficult to implement because people around us continue to condemn it so loudly that it’s the only sound we can hear. We have all tried changing in some way and most of us can recall the images of the laughter, mockery and rebukes from our peers, teachers, leaders or parents. It’s frustrating; it’s demotivating and saps the energy and inspiration for change.

This was until I sat to give it a thought – why so much criticism?! You know what I found? Once you know it and believe it, you can make change a possibility opening grand doors to dreaming and living your own life instead of following a predesigned or predetermined and predictable life. It’s boring and unfulfilling – no wonder why there are so many complaints in today’s impromptu conversations…Let’s change that too folks, we can. Here’s what I discovered in my little research….

1. Change Threatens Them - Insecurity

People in your surroundings are intimidated by change. They fear for their current positions or roles in your life. I remember changing from a habit of mocking girls which I used to do with my peers. My friends didn’t like it and began to point that I was having a holier than thou attitude and that was not okay with them. For someone I would have feared rejection and gave in.

You know, coming up with ideas of change sounds like termination of friendship contract…it is like you are soon going to fire them out of your life and they don’t want that. They think of how they’ll have to upgrade themselves or requalify themselves to the new you. People around you normally find that to be a very painful process. So they criticize you to make sure they still have a VIP passengers’ seat in your life. Don’t let this stop you from becoming the best of yourself when you can, such people will continue to be there in life.

2. They think you can’t pull it off – Lack of Faith

Some can be very overprotective. They possess a little faith and will do what they can to make sure you are not frustrated when you fail. They just don’t believe you can change. They may not know you that much…such are almost, if not the same with those that…..

3. Do not understand the necessity for some change

They’re people who are so #complacent with the status quo and so they think you too must be satisfied with what’s around otherwise you will risk everything you have now. Like the former, they will pull all the resources at their disposal just to stop you from changing. Even though I may not really say how, I’m a victim of this since I was 18. I know how it feels like…I’ve seen them celebrating – smiling effortlessly from ear to ear when I succeed in #means_goals. This and the former reason call for the need to work on giving them the big/clear picture or ignore their efforts.

Folks, there will never be a time when there is no criticism. You even doubt yourself when you decide to take the plunge. Change now! One mentor of mine, #Godknows_Mburuma always say “we are different; my dreams are not their dreams, my gifts are not theirs so I understand them when they don’t buy my views” Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is too late, oh and is a mystery. You are going to wish you had taken the first step before then – you would not want that. Today is all you have…seize the opportunity – make history and build a legacy!