Courage to Change<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not many of us crave change.\u00a0 In fact, many of us will try to avoid it and even resist it. But change is a constant in life. We are born as tiny helpless\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/growmama\/self-development\/courage-to-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Courage to Change\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Not many of us crave change.\u00a0 In fact, many of us will try to avoid it and even resist it. But change is a constant in life. 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{"id":1862,"date":"2011-05-19T20:06:31","date_gmt":"2011-05-20T00:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/growmama.com\/?p=1862"},"modified":"2011-05-19T20:06:31","modified_gmt":"2011-05-20T00:06:31","slug":"courage-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/growmama\/self-development\/courage-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Courage to Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ Not many of us crave change.\u00a0 In fact, many of us will try to avoid it and even resist it. But change is a constant in life. We are born as tiny helpless infants and if Allah (SwT) wills, we grow into active children and youth, then ambitious adults, and finally we grow old and become frail and weak yet again. We change not only physically, but emotionally.\u00a0 Allah (SwT) tells us in the Quran: \u201cAnd that it is He who makes one laugh and weep\u201d (Surah Al-Najm: 44).\u00a0 One day we are happy, and the next may bring sadness, but then again, Allah (SwT) also tells us:\u00a0 \u201cWith hardship there is ease\u201d (Surah al-Sharh V. 5-6).<\/p>\n

If change is a constant in our life, then I wonder why we always try to avoid it and resist it? Why don\u2019t we instead embrace it and use it to improve our lives? It is when we step out of our comfort zone, or in some cases are pushed out of it, that we really grow.\u00a0 Does not a caterpillar have to go through metamorphosis in order to become a butterfly and flutter across the sky after crawling on the earth?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So my invitation to you would be to look into your life and see which situation may be making you uncomfortable, or at least challenging you and making you feel not as competent as you usually would like to be.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s a new course or job you have taken up, maybe it\u2019s a new city you have moved to, or maybe it\u2019s a new good habit that you\u2019re trying to adopt.\u00a0 Perhaps you will find that in that struggle, you are growing, you are learning, and you are reaching new horizons that you would have otherwise never reached.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stephen Covey defines habits as \u201cthe intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire\u201d.\u00a0 In other words, knowledge is the \u2018what\u2019 and the \u2018why\u2019.\u00a0 Skill is the \u2018how\u2019, and desire is the \u2018want\u2019.\u00a0 In order to change a habit, all three have to work together.\u00a0 For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn\u2019t leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of.\u00a0 In some cases, it takes some courage to dig deep and find the real reasons for a bad habit, and yet again, it takes courage to overcome those reasons and drop the habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the other end of the spectrum is having enough courage to take a stance that could affect your family, your school, your city, and even the world.\u00a0 In many cases, in order to improve or excel, we may find ourselves challenging the status quo and being met with resistance, doubts, and discouragement.\u00a0 Even those closest to us may fail to understand or support us.\u00a0 When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to a people that worshipped idols, buried infant girls alive, and treated each other based on colour and clan, he called them to surrender to One God.\u00a0 What was he met with?\u00a0 He was insulted, abused, forced out of his city, fought, and nearly killed.\u00a0 Yet, he carried the most profound message for humanity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Examine your life and decide what changes can you make that will bring you closer to Allah (SwT). What changes will make you happier, more successful and more productive? What changes will allow you to fulfill your goals and aspirations? Once you have identified those changes, ask Allah (SwT) to help you and give what is best for you, and simply, make it happen.\u00a0 You are the only one who can fulfill your dreams and experience the joy that comes from accomplishing your goals.<\/p>\n

Raghad Ebied<\/p>\n

Raghad is the founder and director of Destination Excellence, a professional development coaching and training practice that specializes in career and leadership excellence.\u00a0 For more info, see www.DestinationExcellence.ca<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"