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Risk Changing the Way You Communicate

Laurie Burton • Jan 30, 2016

As I was writing this post, I got the news of David Bowie’s passing. One of his greatest hits was CHANGES. I dedicate this post to him and his fearless, never-ending, embrace of change.


I looked up the word CHANGE. It had one of the longest definitions I have ever seen, along with quite a long list of words from the thesaurus, such as: alter, make/become different, adjust, adapt, amend, modify, revise, refine, reshape, refashion, redesign, restyle, revamp, rework, remodel, reorganize, reorder, vary, transform, transfigure, transmute, metamorphose, evolve; informal tweak, doctor, rejig; technical permute.


I chose the word change for this post because it is the core of my work.


I’ve been living with change and teaching it for over 35 years. It took me so long to learn the lesson that the only person I could truly change was myself. I’ve tried it on husbands, friends and children. The lesson has always been to embody and engage my own changes consciously, with openness and a sense of adventure.


So, why would I have chosen to help people look at who they really are and how they come across, and to consider making changes in their behavior; to support change that enables someone to move and connect with people in business and life as never before? Because working with clients as they look at how to change their image and their reality is something I can offer, and something they can choose to take or leave.


When I work with a client, they experience up close, and at times very personally, the look, the sound, the CHANGE that occurs when they’re willing to take the risk, stepping out of their old image and into a newly expanded, vital one.


It takes:


  • Guts
  • Chutzpah
  • Fearlessness
  • Honesty
  • …and more


Isn’t it time to call upon your highest and best self to make that change in your life?


Choose to step into your own fear instead of avoiding it. With practice, you’ll develop the confidence you need to consciously engage a change, whether it’s something thrust upon you or something you actively desire.


• If you’re not good at conversation – step into the fear. What? Just engage in conversations badly? Simply stumble through?

• If you’re not great at eye contact – step into the fear. How? Face-to-face and eye-to-eye?

• If you hate going to cocktail parties (or any party for that matter) – step into the fear. And be a wallflower or awkward guest?

• If you don’t like the way you look – step into the fear. You mean make friends with it?

• If you hate speaking in public – step into the fear…

• If you wish you had a likable personality – step into the fear…

• If you’d like to have a better job, but hate the prospects of a job interview – step into the fear…

• If you want to get along with friends and family – step into the fear…

• If you want to feel a part of the world – step into the fear….


I could list more, but I think you get the point.


Stop hiding from life. Risk – and you will be rewarded. Although you may fail a few times, you will succeed!


Come on, this is the journey you were meant to take. This is the journey to personal change and development.


Fear will always tell you that there’s too much at stake. But I can tell you from personal experience, what you will gain far outweighs the risk – every time.


What’s the ONE thing that causes you deep anxiety, keeps you believing that the success you want involves too much risk? I’d love to know…share it with me in the comments below.

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