Diversity Rules Magazine

As a Therapist, Educator and Posi ve Living Expert, Diane has dedicated her career to help- ing people turn their lives around and is now on a mission to help them develop a sustainable posi ve a tude that can actually turn one into an op mist, literally. Through her three books, "Crea ng Bal- ance & Finding Happi- ness", "Baby Steps: the Path from Motherhood to Career" and " Mind- fully Happy- waking up to life." Diane has been speaking and empowering people na onwide. She is also an Adjunct in Psychology at Mont- clair State University, where her college work includes mentoring students for personal issue advisement. As an expert in her fields of therapy, Lang has been featured in the Daily Record, Family Circle, Family Magazine, Working Mother Magazine and Cookie Magazine, seen on NJ 12 TV, Good day CT, Style CT, The Veira Network, CBS TV and "Fox & Friends". She has also par cipated in a reality based Internet show, ourprisoner.com, hosted Genera on X- net. Most of us spend our lives avoiding change and tran- si ons. The truth comes out eventually that we can- not prevent change, and the more we try, the more stressed we become. One thing we must remember is that we have been changing since birth. We go from crawling to walking, from elementary to middle to high school. We transi- on into college and adulthood. In adulthood, we go through many changes. Change has been part of our lives forever, but we spend so much me avoiding it, worrying about it, and living in fear of it. Imagine if we never changed. We would never grow and de- velop. We would be stuck and lost. You would not be the person you are today. In today's world, change is forced upon us by a re- cession, changes in employment and school, gas and food prices going up, etc. These changes can be stressful and overwhelming. So, we try to stay right where we are. We think if we do not change, every- thing will be ok. We think we could trade in change for security/stability. It does not work that way. We have two op ons during a transi on: 1. Look at the change as an opportunity for growth. To learn, grow and be be er. 2. Stay the same, do not make any changes but feel the discomfort of being stuck and stagnate. Here are 6 ways to avoid the vicious cycle of change. 1. We must realize and accept change will happen. It is the only constant in the world, so embracing and accep ng is the only way. Evaluate your life at this moment: What changes are going on for you? What changes can you make during the shi ? When we truly accept a situa on, we let go of the resistance. When we release the resistance, we reduce the stress. When we reduce stress, we can breathe again and see the situa on with clarity. We can make deci- sions based on well-thought-out solu ons instead of fear. Acceptance is a choice. Acceptance leads to ac- on, which gives us back some of our control. 2. Change is both a beginning and an end. You must see it as both. When something ends, a new Change - Con't on page 16 The Psychology of Change By Diane Lang Diversity Rules Magazine| May 2023 | 13

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