Written by Founder and CEO, Sara Potler LaHayne
Change is the only constant in life.
Some variation of this sentiment was put forth by Greek philosopher Heraclitus around 500 B.C.
It’s a philosophy that seems to get more accurate as time goes on, as it feels like the world has changed so much in the last ten years, let alone the last 3,000.
Many changes can feel daunting, scary or overwhelming–like preparing for first-time motherhood while writing a curriculum overhaul and leading organizational growth from California to Texas to Tennessee.
Let me tell you straight from the heart: it’s been an incredibly challenging time. I’ve had to adjust my focus, work with my team (my team in the office and my team in my husband), and develop new strategies for success–at work and at home.
But I also feel that I could not be more prepared for such a herculean task; in fact, I’ve been preparing for this every day of my life.
Flexibility. Openness. Empathy. Forgiveness.
These are all core elements of our work at Move This World, and we practice them individually and as a team every day of the week. We practice laughter. We meditate. We workout. We Move This Day. We work, and we play.
It’s what has allowed us to change locations, shift our model, and work around the world while staying focused on our greater mission.
At the end of the day, we don’t really know when major transitions are going to take place. We might have hints or ideas, but life comes at you quickly.
The only way to prepare for the inevitable is to be proactive, to work the mental muscles every day.
We need to be flexible. We need to be open about our needs. We need to have empathy for those around us, especially those supporting our goals. And we need to forgive ourselves for not meeting our standards every single time.
But how? It requires daily practice, like daily meditation or reflection, literally celebrating failures with a high five and literally practicing our flexibility by stretching, or taking the time to listen to our colleagues, friends, or supporters even when we have a million things running through our heads and a thousand butterflies in our stomach.
These practices ground us, they reconnect us to what’s truly important, and prepares us for what’s to come.
Transitions are difficult. Period.
So is having the emotional capacity to navigate them.
That means you have to be ready.
Anytime, anyplace.
