Back to School!

Today as I hurried my daughters off to school, I couldn't help to reflect on change and new beginnings. I am often asked to speak on change, how to cope and thrive in the midst of challenges or crisis, and this morning I gained a bit more of a perspective of another way to approach change.

There are times in our lives when change is beyond our control, unavoidable. How we respond to that change is what is critical, how we learn from that lesson set before us. If we take a look at each new school year, there may have been angst or excitement looking back at that first day, but in the end, we grew, we learned, we graduated on to the next level.

Faced with change, think back at how you prepared for a change in grade levels. You might have gone shopping for the right supplies, the right clothing, maybe did a bit of reading over the summer to prepare. Perhaps you took some extra classes, worked part-time, or even just soaked in the sun, relaxation and fun of summer in preparation for the busi-ness of the coming fall. Is change all that different? If you can anticipate it coming, how are you preparing? Preparation gives us some control when faced with something we can't.

Each year, new class schedules, lessons to learn. That initial anxiety of..."Am I in the right place?" and "Am I sure where I am going next?" soon fades as you settle into a new routine. You find your way, you always do.

What you find is, through it all, though change is inevitable, there are many things that remain constant. Your school, your friends, home, family, and who you are, all growing and learning together.

When faced with your next big change, think of it as graduating to the next grade level, make your preparations, sharpen your pencil and prepare to learn. After all, there is something refreshing about new beginnings, a fresh notebook, a perfectly sharp pencil and new sneakers!