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Saturday, May 19, 2018

Don't Leave Change to Chance

[image mine; edited with Portra and BeFunky]


I attended a college graduation this week. It was strange to see a new batch of students on the very stage on which I stood a year ago!


For the more recent readers here, my post-high school life thus far looks like this:


  • Spent a year looking for a job
  • Found a retail position and just worked for a year
  • Went to the aforementioned college (while still working part-time on the side) where I completed a nine-month program that focuses on building leaders who are strong in their faith and also successful in the business world
  • And most recently, completed my first year of a business diploma (yep, still working in the meantime)


Anyway, life progression aside, seeing a new class graduate made me realize how fast time moves! Something the valedictorian said in her speech stuck out to me:


"Don't leave change to chance."



Something like this leadership program is only as valuable as the effort a student puts into it. Simply attending won't do a blessed thing. The same goes for a multitude of other opportunities for learning. A powerful book, a thought-provoking blog post, the wisdom of a mentor, a challenge before you, a mind-numbing job, a sandpaper person*, an informative class. All of these have the potential to mold you, change you, and catapult you to a higher level of life, but only if you do your part.


*None of us shall name names, but we all know these individuals--abrasive, prickly, uncomfortable-to-be-around people whose role in your life is to smooth your rough edges.


What is our part?



We are constantly processing information. I don't know enough science to go into the cognitive details, but your brain filters a CRAZY amount of data all the time. You discard what is unimportant, routine, and involuntary in order to function, since your focus is incredibly narrow. How does a magician fool an audience? Misdirection. If you're watching one hand wave the scarf over here, you won't see the other hand reach for the card over there. It takes concentrated effort to ignore the flashy new things your brain deems as "important" in order to focus on a crucial but mundane detail.


How often do you read or hear something and think, "Wow, that was good. I need to remember that." And then . . . don't? Yeah, me too. I don't even remember what I had for lunch yesterday. It wasn't important.


Okay, so what am I getting at? We've covered grads, brains, and magicians, oh my!


The point is this. You want to change. So do I. But we leave transformation to chance most of the time. We sit around waiting for a golden key to fall into our lap, for Gandalf to knock on our door, for someone to invent a USB port in the back of our skulls so that we can download new skills. But it doesn't work that way.


Proverbs 2 talks about pursuing wisdom (personified throughout the book as a woman), and it uses a lot of action verbs.


  • Accept what I am telling you
  • Store my counsel deep within you
  • Listen for Lady Wisdom
  • Attune your ears to her
  • Engage your mind
  • Cry out for insight
  • Beg for understanding
  • Sift through the clamor of everything around you
  • Seek wisdom
  • Search for it
  • Grasp what it means
  • Discover knowledge


And here's what this wisdom will do for you.


With this wisdom you will be able to choose the right road, seek justice, and decide what is good and fair because wisdom will penetrate deep within and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul. (Proverbs 2: 9-10, the Voice translation)


 It goes on to say that sound judgment will stand guard over you, and wisdom will keep you away from wrong paths. I don't know about you, but I could use a good dose of wisdom in my life. But it won't come to me by chance. Neither will true change.


This is our part: to take responsibility for our own growth, to seek wisdom, to listen, to reflect, to apply.



Start small. To think of changing your entire life from the ground up is overwhelming. Instead, pick one habit to replace. When you're studying, pick out one thing you can apply right now. When you step into an environment that encourages change, use it. Seek, store, discover. Sift through the clamor. Fall in love with change. Fall in love with the pursuit of wisdom. Involve God on the journey, too. He gives wisdom without finding fault in you.


It's been said that the clearest memories are made by repetition or strong emotion. Once you've grasped a nugget of wisdom, don't let it go! Find ways to repeat it to yourself, whether it's leaving notes around the house or setting a reminder on your phone or learning the discipline of reflection. Attach emotions to it if you can. Envision what your life could be like if you applied that little lesson; paint the most vivid picture you can.


And then act. The quickest way to get something from your head to your heart is to start moving your hands and feet.


What's something small you want to change this week? Don't leave it to chance.

31 comments:

  1. This post is really timely for me. With school over for the year, I'm realizing how active I need to be in order to get things done. Looking for a job the summer is probably the main one that I'm dealing with - writing a resume, asking if people are hiring (and getting up the courage to actually talk to people), and putting other sorts of work into this effort. And on a more internal side, getting the dedication to do these actions is something that I've been working on to change about myself. And likewise, it doesn't come by merely sitting around and waiting. Great post, Tracey! (And these are definitely words of wisdom that I'm telling myself to remember - and am creating a more permanent way to remember, too!)

    ~True

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    1. Ah, the fluidity of summer! It's hard to maintain a schedule and get stuff done when school is over, isn't it? But good for you for taking steps to find a job! That's not an easy thing, putting yourself out there again and again until something sticks. I hope the search is blessedly short! ;)

      *claps* A permanent reminder--look at that, you're ten steps ahead of the average person! <3

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  2. Wow, this really got me thinking this morning. I am normally one to just leave change to chance when it comes to certain things, but I really don't want to anymore.
    Thank you so much, Tracey!
    -Mikayla-

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    1. Well, it's the path of least resistance, right? I've got areas of my life where I'm in the same boat... so let's strive for change together! *high fives* Glad you enjoyed the post, Mikayla!

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    2. Indeed it is. Will do. *High Five*

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  3. A beautiful post, Tracey!! I love that quote. Now I just need to remember this post of wisdom instead of wishing for it to change me without my effort. Lol!

    Keep up the good work!!

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    1. Thank you so much, Sarah! Haha, that's the tricky part all right... You can do it! ^_^

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  4. oh, wow! So good. I've been saying this last year, "Little habits achieved are big goals made possible." My life consists of creating and stabilizing small changes (habits) so that my life may eventually get where I want! Chance is definitely not something I want to wait on ;p But those little things are so hard ;0

    keturahskorner.blogspot.com

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    1. That's a great line! Habits ARE the foundation of every accomplishment, and it's those little ones that so often trip me up too. Here's to making baby steps towards change! <3

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  5. "The quickest way to get something from your head to your heart is to start moving your hands and feet." <-- WOW. Wow, wow, wow. Those are life changing words right there! This whole post was so powerful. I just...ACK. TRACEY. I LOVE YOUR POSTS SO MUCH. They always make me THINK and want to be better and strive harder and and and I HAVE NO WORDS.

    I am the WORST about not taking action, not trying harder, or often not even trying at all. That's why I chose "intentional" is my word for this year, because I'm tired of sitting around and not letting things change, not growing and following my dreams. I need to get up and DO. To not leave change to chance, yes!

    I've needed this post for like...my entire life. I just want to read it over and over again and soak up this wisdom. Thank you for sharing these beautiful thoughts with us. <333

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    1. CHRISTINE, THANK YOU. <333 It makes me happier than you know to hear that something I wrote caused a person to really, truly think. That's where all change starts, anyway. ;)

      Intentional--what a great word to strive for! I remember your post about that! Feeling like you've plateaued is the worst. But the amazing thing is that when you get up and start moving and changing one thing, it tends to snowball!

      Awww, thank you so much, dear friend!

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  6. This was really good!!! Change for the better is not unintentional. I really appreciate the words of wisdom you shared here! Thanks so much!!!
    astoryspinner.blogspot.com

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    1. Exactly! Real change is always on purpose. I'm glad you liked it, Erica--thank YOU! <3

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  7. Wonderful post, Tracey, full of words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing. These ideas apply to folks of all ages.

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    1. Thank you, Mrs. D! <3 You're absolutely right. This is something I'll need to be reminded of for the rest of my life.

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  8. This is spectacular, Tracey. Thanks for the reminder that good intentions simply aren't enough.

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    1. Oh, thanks, Megan!! Good intentions don't get anyone very far, do they? ;)

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  9. I've been trying to improve in this area lately; I know it's something I struggle with.
    "Don't leave change to chance."
    That's a great quote. Thanks for the reminder!
    Have you heard the quote "Be the change you want to see in the world"? Your post made me think of it. =)

    -Hanna
    takingmytime.rothfuss.us

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    1. I'm trying to make some improvements too! *links arms* We can do this!

      Yes, I have heard that one--it's a great quote. :) It also reminds me of a song by Britt Nicole called "Be the Change."

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    2. We can! <3

      I've only heard two Britt Nicole songs ("Gold", of course, and "Can You Hold Me" with NF), but I love them both, so I should look that up! Thanks.

      -Hanna
      takingmytime.rothfuss.us

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    3. Those are both great. I was just listening to Can You Hold Me yesterday, and it occurred to me that it works really well for The Brightest Thread! ^_^

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    4. Do you listen to NF often? I find his music SO relatable, even though I'm a novelist and a poet, not a rapper!

      -Hanna
      takingmytime.rothfuss.us

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    5. I've started listening to his music somewhat recently, and YES, I find a lot of his songs very relatable. Writing lyrics seems to come with many of the same joys and struggles as writing novels. :D (I especially find "Intro" rather motivating!)

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  10. I need to apply this to my life. It takes work to change, but tackling one thing at a time seems manageable.

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    1. I need to apply it just as much! (Most of these kinds of posts are me talking to me, after all. ;) ) I read a great article by Randy Ingermanson last New Year's about choosing one new habit or skill each month to work on. I haven't been consistent, but it's something I'm trying to do!

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  11. Good post. I actually talked about this sort of subject in my sermon yesterday (performing pulpit supply), though I went from a completely different angle. Yesterday was Pentecost, of course, and I talked about how the Holy Spirit is our guide (along with the Bible) to help us conform to God’s pattern for life, rather than the world’s pattern for life. With the Spirit, we can “re-vision” our life (“re-visioning” is a term one of my creative writing professors uses as a supplement to “revising”). The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Truth” in John 14 and John 16, and I love that designation. This being said, I think it is also important to pursue wisdom in this more open-ended sort of way.

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    1. I like that term, "re-visioning." Change doesn't happen until you start painting a new vision of yourself or what your life could be like. And the most successful change happens when we team up with Holy Spirit. Thanks for offering that perspective!

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  12. Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE this post!!! I've been really struggling with wanting to change some things within my life lately, and I feel like I found this in my blog feed at JUST the right moment. Funny how that happens sometimes. XD Thank you so much for writing this! I think it's finally time that I hop forward and make the changes that I want to see.

    (also, HI! I'm Kenzie! XD I'm not sure if I've ever commented on your blog before???)

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    1. Hi, Kenzie!!! I don't think you've commented here before, but I feel like I've seen you around the blogosphere somewhere! So hello!

      I am so, so glad to hear this was timely. (God's good at doing that. ;) ) I've got stuff I want to change too, so this is just as much a reminder to me as to anyone else. I believe in you! <3

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  13. This reminds me of a post Zen Pencils did (https://zenpencils.com/comic/161-shonda-rhimes-a-screenwriters-advice/). If you leave change to find you, it often won't. We have to be proactive doers.

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks for the link! :D I agree 110%. I love dreaming, and I also love encouraging people to dream because so many of us are scared to. But dreams don't go anywhere unless you then DO something about them.

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