Change: Threat or Opportunity?

Basic animal nature mandates that we see any change in our lifestyle or environment as a problem.  If we then view that problem as a threat, our fight or flight instincts will engage. Change is inevitable. It is occurring around us all the time. Rather than seeing each problem as a threat, see it as an opportunity. The way we make that transition has to do with our perception. Keith Ayers, founder of the Integro Leadership Institute has a simple yet impactful model depicting two different Change Cycles: the Maintenance Cycle and the Growth Cycle. For example, when change occurs, the first place to look is at your reaction to it. If you are behaving defensively then that is a signal that you perceive the change as a threat. At this point you are in the Maintenance Cycle. The goal is to move to the Growth Cycle. The next step is to look for opportunities that may result from this change. When you begin to look for the opportunities, you are able to engage in constructive behavior and work with the change instead of against it. When you are able to move in a positive direction rather than simply standing still and guarding what is already around you, you will have RESET Your Buttons allowing yourself and others the opportunity to grow.