Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful, it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful, it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident, it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.

- King Whitney, Jr.

Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full- on metamorphosis.

- Martha Beck

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

- Andy Warhol

We must become the change we want to see.

- Mahatma Ghandi

The only constant is change.

This quote has been atributed to many sources, going as far back as the Greek philospher Heraclitus.

Change is inevitable. The trick is to accept this fact and flow with it rather than fighting it.

As a coach who specializes in working with people in times of transition and change, I tend to view times of change as opportunities for growth, learning, and new possibilities, despite the challenges that many of us face. In coaching, we say: We either grow or we die. At any age or stage of life, we can all choose to grow. And growth means change.

The question is, How do we manage change - in our personal lives, in our careers, in our businesses?

Here are four keys to managing change:

1. Recognize that change is occuring. Be open to all information about this change. Learn all you can. Explore your options.
2. Accept the change. Release your resistance to it. Go with the flow.
3. Embrace the change. Understand that all things change. Believe that change is always for the better, even changes that currently appear to be losses or tragedies.
4. Become the change you want to be. Think it. Create it. Be it.

Excerpted below are sections from a longer blog article with the same title. To read the full piece, click on the link at the bottom of this article.

My Designing Your Life work is all about coaching people through transitions and change. With the recent transition from summer into fall, I have been witnessing a lot of change, and with it the emotional upheavals that come with that change. Loss seems to be a big theme this fall.

In this year's transition from summer to fall, the winds of change came blowing through with gale force, impacting not only my life and the lives of my family, friends, clients, and colleagues, but also the lives of most people in this country and around the globe. Wars, political campaigns, weather challenges, and, most of all, economic upheavals of major proportions have shaken the very foundations of our assumptions about how life "should" be. Many people have been forced to re-evaluate their lives in various ways. And some have been forced into transitions or changes, not always desired or of their own choosing.

My friend Judy observed recently that this year's transition from summer into fall seems to have evoked a lot of sadness - more than usual, it seemed to her. I have noticed the same thing, not only in others around me, but also within myself.

Just within my own small circle, there is much loss and sadness - an in-law observing the first anniversary of her husband's death, a new friend still grieving the recent loss of his wife to cancer, a colleague reluctantly closing her business, a client upset over the loss of her job, a friend facing possible breast cancer, a relative hospitalized with depression. And, as for me, I find myself grieving the loss of a very special friendship - not through death, thank goodness, but through what may be inadequately described here as "irreconcilable differences".

Through these events, I have been reminded once again that loss is a natural and inevitable part of the cycle of life. And when we lose someone or something dear to us, or important to us in some way, we need to grieve that loss. And I am reminded of the ground-breaking work of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and her description of the grief process outlined in her classic book On Death and Dying.

Kubler-Ross broke down the grieving process into the five stages listed below. Within each of the stages, there are nuances, variations, and sub-topics to consider. Not everyone who grieves goes through these five stages - at all, or in this order. For some, the whole cycle is very short (a matter of minutes or days); for others, the cycle can last a much longer time (months, years, most of a lifetime, perhaps). They are:

In the political arena, major changes are afoot. Especially in the areas of the economy, international relations, and environmental challenges, much is at stake. No matter what your political persuasion, let your voice be heard.

Be sure to vote this Tuesday, November 4th. Stand up and be counted!

With apologies to our readers who are McCain voters, here is a link to the YouTube video, Obama For Change Song and Video - Spread the Word.

For most of our readers in the USA, the change back from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time happens at 2:00 am Sunday morning, November 2nd. So, remember to reset your clocks and watches before going to sleep on Saturday night!

To learn more about the history of this time change, and how it plays out all over the world, click on the article below.

As you face these turbulent times of change, take a Time Out and treat yourself to this beautiful meditation in words, images, and music from Ralph Marston of The Daily Motivator.

Listed here are some of my favorite books on the subject of transition and change - some classics, some current, one on the way. Enjoy!

• Blanke, Gail. Between Trapezes: Flying Into a New Life With the Greatest of Ease. Rodale, 2004. [On life and career transitions.]
• Bridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes. Revised 25th Anniversary Edition, Da Capo Press, 2004. [A classic.]
• Dyer, Wayne. Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Hay House, 2009. [Paperback due out January, 2009.]
• Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying. Simon & Schuster/Collier Books/Macmillan, 1970. [The classic text on the stages of grief and bereavement.]
• Obama, Barack. Change We Can Believe In. Three Rivers Press, 2008. [With no apologies for my political bias.]
• Paulis, Trina. Hope for the Flowers. Paulist Press, 1997. [Republished from the 1970's. A classic allegory on transformational change.]
• Sheehy, Gail. Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life. Ballantine, 2006. [Another classic, updated.]

LifeWork Letter is a complimentary monthly e-Newsletter from Connie Komack and LifeWork Enterprises, with tips, quotes, and short articles designed to enrich, empower, and forward the growth of your life, career, or business.

Feel free to share this newsletter with others. It is easy to do by clicking on the forward email link at the bottom of this newsletter.

As always, I invite you to visit my blog site and to read the articles on transition, change, and re- designing your life that are posted there.

Thank you for reading my newsletter and/or blog articles. Your readership is most appreciated and valued. I hear from many of you each month, and I always enjoy and benefit from your feedback. So please keep it coming.