Matt – Thanks so much for your incredibly thoughtful comment. I especially liked the way you summarized each of the main categories of change I talked about. It is amazing to me that even if the change itself is the same, our feeling of having a say in the matter can greatly change our attitude once it happens. There is something reassuring about having a say in the matter, and yet sometimes unexpected changes are the best things that ever happen to us. Thanks again for creating such an awesome conversation over at Life Without Pants this month. You rock!

‘WANT TO’ CHANGE – This represents the change we want; wanting to go green, wanting to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur, wanting to get a new job – whatever it is, it’s change that we actively seek. This is where protectiveness comes in. So often, we want change to happen for us, but we don’t really want to put forth the effort to get things done ourselves. We elect Obama because he can change the country for the better. But in reality, the changes comes from each and every one of us, we can’t wait for a savior to come and lead us to the promised land – each of us, individually, have to be our own proponents for growth, maturation, and positive change.

‘HAVE TO’ CHANGE – Things are the unpredicted changes that all of us are undoubtedly dealt throughout the lives, the things out of our control. A parent dies, we get laid off from a job, and so on. Here, it all comes down to a state of mind – the ability to accept change as a natural part of life, instead of fighting it and rejecting it. As you pointed out, it’s these types of obstacles and challenges and how we handle them, embrace them, and learn from them that truly define and shape who we are. The old (lame) saying – “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade!” rings true here. It’s how you react to the inevitable that defines you.

Love what you’ve done here – and couldn’t be happier to have you included in this ‘change revolution’!