Being the Agent of Change (for yourself)

Hey friends,

Many of us get to stages in our lives where we want change. Sometimes, these are big upheavals. Sometimes, they’re everyday things.

Either way, many of us have experienced the wanting of change, and felt the stuckness that comes with not knowing how to change.

The Trap

Do any of these sound familiar: “I’ll stop doing X when I have Y.” or “I’ll start doing A when I’ve achieved B or become C.” If so, you have fallen into the trap. I know I have, many, many times.

The trap is the assumption that we can delay the life or the change that we want, because it will “just happen” when some (sometimes arbitrary) external experience occurs.

What if I told you you already have everything you need to make the change you want, and that it’s in fact internal?

Everything you want to be and achieve starts with you. You are the agent of change. The challenge is knowing where and how to start.

I’ve written before about the notion that “people don’t change”. Spoiler: we do, but maybe not the way you think we do.

After understanding that, we can then break down the core pieces that lead us there. Let’s understand one that I rarely hear talked about. Personality.

Personality

“Your personality creates your personal reality.” - Dr Joe Dispenza

Do you want to change how you lead?

Do you want to change how you feel?

Do you want to change how you are - how you build relationships or execute on your craft?

Well, it starts with changing your personality. That changes your personal reality. Which changes how you feel, which changes how you act, and that changes the results.

Another quote for you:

“Be careful about your thoughts, because your thoughts are forming your words. Be careful about your words, because your words form your actions. Be careful about your actions, because your actions shape your habits. Be careful about your habits, because they become your character. Be careful about what character you cultivate, because your character shapes your destiny.” - Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi

Your personality is the way you are now, so perhaps it comes before your thoughts even do. And your character could be said to be (or at least directly influence) your personality. So:

Personality→ thoughts→ words→ actions→ habits→ character→ destiny+personality.

In a cycle, ever onwards.

The Process

The only way to break a cycle is from within. In other words, if you’re not happy with the results you’re creating now, one of the above must change, breaking the cycle. Change your personality, your character, your actions, your habits, etc.

That’s step one.

Step two, then, is to decide: “What do I want instead?”

If you start this practice with the intention of where you’d like to be instead of where you are now, of what you want compared to what you’ve got, then you have a benchmark.

A tip for you: Frame this in the positive. For example, don’t say “I don’t want to be XYZ”. Instead, decide “I DO want ABC”.

So try it out. Write out the life you do want, then do an honest audit of what you’re doing now.

Does the person you show up as currently deserve the success and life that you do want? If so, great! If not, what would you like to try changing? What part of the cycle demands improvement first?

Congrats! You’re starting to be an agent of change - first in your own life, then in the world around you. Good luck!

Lots of love, and here’s to your success! - Seven

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About Seven

Hey friends! I’m Seven - I write about challenges and opportunities affecting leaders across business. I release a weekly newsletter and a podcast, helping folks understand the leadership journeys and challenges out there, so we can better understand our purpose, place, and potential. The goal: to learn about what it means to be a leader, to support leaders, to find leaders, and to discover the leader within.

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Lots of love, and here’s to your success!