7 Remarkable Quotes About Change That Will Make You Stronger

At the age of 53, Brad Gold got fired from a senior management position in a struggling restaurant chain. Little did Brad know that he was at the crossroads of his destiny.

After that layoff, Brad knew it wouldn’t be easy to find another job in the corporate world. Instead of being disappointed, he was feeling a glimmer of hope. Brad had the lifelong dream of owning his restaurant. Getting laid off made it possible to look at that dream and say — now’s the time.

Of course, building a restaurant is no easy job. As Brad didn’t plan financially for that day, he had to borrow money from friends & relatives. Another challenge was to find an underperforming cafe that he could take over, renovate and relaunch. Luckily, he found just the place only eight blocks from his home. Brad changed the name of the cafe to Black Dog Coffee, redesigned the menu, recipes, and interior of the cafe.

And eighteen years later, he thinks that was the best change that could happen in his life —

“We’re still here and doing better than ever. I’m eternally grateful for the layoff and the opportunity to pursue my dream.”

Brad’s Story Is Inspiring — But Can You See The Problem In It?

You can imagine that Brad wasn’t the only person who got laid off. His co-workers who lost their jobs must have had dreams too. But how many of them could turn a negative situation into an opportunity? How many could bounce back from the layoff? Brad could turn the lemon into lemonade. It might not be possible for everyone to do that in a stressful situation.

As Jack Welch has rightly said —

Change before you have to — Jack Welch

If you don’t change your circumstances when you are in a good situation, you might not have the time or preparation to adapt when the situation changes.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

John C. Maxwell’s quote should make you realize one thing. You may dislike change and would rather stay in your comfort zone. You hope that your comfort zone will stay the same forever.

Unfortunately, it won’t.

Your city will become different. Friends will grow up. The family will grow distant. You may lose your earnings or can get a disease. Life will never remain the same.

You can choose to change life before it changes you. Or you can stay the same and blame everything else that changes. Will you have a good life if you do the latter?

Can You Opt For Safety Instead of Growth?

Technically, you can. Going back to safety by redefining your comfort zone in a changing environment is always an option.

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” — Abraham Maslow

The problem is, your changing environment would potentially change the size of your comfort zone as well. What felt safe once would turn into borderline risky or plain boring. Ultimately, to have the same level of comfort, you’d have to grow yourself & pursue improvement.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great”

The biggest enemy of change is a comfort zone. It creates a false sense of security that supposedly keeps you safe. According to John. D. Rockefeller, it’s natural to feel afraid to give up something good. Especially if you are going after something that can potentially be great — but also comes with a number of risks.

Life’s benefits are like the ebb & tide of a sea. Money, time, or any other asset comes and goes. When you have abundance in one area, you must take steps to increase that abundance. Be rest assured that your flow of assets will change. What you can store or utilize from the good times would define your future.

The uncertain future is always daunting. But remember,

All things are difficult before they are easy — Thomas Fuller.

“By changing nothing, nothing changes.”

Do you want to improve your love life? Then you must change what you are doing. Do you want to lose weight? You can’t continue eating the way you are right now.

Without changing your inputs, you can’t expect to change the outputs. As Tony Robbins pointed out in this clever quote, change is about taking action — small, uncomfortable, and consistent actions.

And just like that, brick by brick, you will get where you want to be.

Final Thoughts

• Change before the universe forces you to
• Even in a situation of change, you can choose how you want to handle it
• Opting for safety is never a sustainable option
• Bring change voluntarily when the times are good
• Change becomes easier gradually
• And ultimately, change is nothing but small and consistent actions

Remember, you can hardly control how others would behave. Your focus on change should be on you, not someone else. As Rumi said —

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” — Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

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