Dalai Lama

   If you are alive and breathing, you must be ready for changes. If you want to live a full and complete life, you will need to be a professional changer. Just the names on this list of quotes about change are a group of people that faced continual change in their own lives: Andy Warhol, Steve Jobs, and Maya Angelou stand out as true change lovers.

  When you decide that life needs a little spice, don’t take just a spoonful. Taste life to its fullest and richest of flavors. Indulge in change. Become the person you want overnight. Don’t just wear an edgy shirt. Go ahead and buy the leather chaps and wear them. Underwear optional if you’re really wanting to mix things up.

   A change can’t just last for a week. If you work out for a week, you’ll be in better shape for 3 or 4 days. If you wear a nice outfit 3 days in a row, you had a fancy week. If you want to make a change in your life, you have to commit to what it takes. You have to bring that same attitude and mentality to every aspect of your life. Don’t just paint the car, fix the engine.

Soren Kierkegaard

    You do have to be careful. Some of the changes that come at you are not always the best. We can get caught up in the moment and make some changes that aren’t moving us forward. You have to make sure that the changes you are making are not setting you back a few months or years.

   Steve Jobs changed the world. We like to think that. In reality, he did not drive us forward the way we think. Sure, smartphones are everywhere. And, they are crucially important to all of us. We could do without them. In some ways, the technology that he introduced set us back a bit. But, would you ever say the iPhone wasn’t important?

   Part of recognizing the change is the impact it will have on us and the world around us. Is the change and growth we will receive worth the impact it will have on everyone else? The change we make won’t likely change the world, but it could definitely change our world. If nothing else, it should change our world view.

Cesare Pavese

     If you want to be happy, or you want to be wise, you have to change continually. Every success story centers around a person who made changes. Whether it’s the Silicon Valley era, the oil tycoons, or the Medieval warrior-kings, change is what made the difference for all the major players throughout history.

   Freud’s most prized pupil, Jung prided himself on discovering the different parts of the human psyche that were a more “appropriate” explanation of the human mind than Freud could observe. He changed the game because he accepted that times were changing. Freud’s crude language of the stages would not be widely accepted. Jung’s accomplishments made Freud more palatable to the world, making them both relevant today.

   Nobody will tell you that change is easy. It’s not easy in any sense, but especially on your mentality and your psyche. You have to challenge the very fibers of your being to convince yourself that this new change will be worth it. The new step that you’ll take will make the difference in your life that you want.

Audrey Hepburn

    As an artist, it would’ve been easy to just settle in and blame the market for not being able to sell your work. It would be natural to change your style to make some money. Instead, Andy Warhol invented a new genre and created a market for that art. He brought about the change that he wanted in the art world.

   It’s been said a lot of different ways by a lot of different people. The times, and everything else, are a changing indeed. Bob Dylan was never one to shy away from a challenge or make himself subject to some industry standard. Instead, he changed the world of music. He started with the Band intending to be a rock star. Eventually, he became the legendary singer songwriter through a natural evolutionary process.

   Change is happening. You have a choice. You can embrace that change, as these quotes about change are compelling you to do, or you can just maintain the status quo. If you choose the latter, you’ll be forced to change when the paradigm shift makes you obsolete. Don’t get left behind; make the change today.

Marcus Aurelius

    If you are headed in the right direction with the potential for a great success, you don’t need to change. All this talk about change might have had you believing that you must change instantly or you’d fall behind. The fact of the matter is that you might already be on the right path. If you are headed for the stars, perhaps you’ve already made the changes needed.

   Everything is in flux at all times. Just because you have success in one area, or you’re on the right track in an area, doesn’t mean there are no changes. Sure, you are headed straight toward professional success. What about you? Isn’t there something you could change within yourself to strengthen your resolve? If you don’t, that success might go to your head.

   Clint Eastwood made the transition from cowboy, to cop, to the man behind the camera. He is the perfect example of someone who continually pushed himself to grow. He always thought he could do the next thing better than the last guy. Now, he’s a highly respected film maker both for his writing and directing.

George Bernard Shaw

   As soon as we get settled in a daily schedule that makes life comfortable, life throws us a curve ball. The best thing to do with a curve ball is to recognize it and drill it into the opposite field. When life comes at you with something new, accept that something new and make it your new mission to conquer the beast.

  Sometimes, you have to change. Staying the same may be disastrous. No one ever made a name for themselves by doing the same thing over and over. Well, maybe a tyrant or two. In today’s world, it just doesn’t happen. The most successful people are those that see the need for change and adjust, before disaster closes in.

   Whether you are rich and famous, or just one of the rest of us, you are the same type of person. If you know who you are, having more stuff won’t change you as a person. One of the important things about change, is that you change in order to make yourself better, not to take advantage of a situation or a person.

Buddha

   The only thing we can truly change is within us. We dream of changing the world, but just like Frank and Tolstoy observe, we must start that change within. Even Michael Jackson said to start with the man in the mirror. You must first begin to change yourself before we can even consider changing the world to be a reality.

   This phrase can be translated a few ways. One interpretation says something along the lines of, “Change is unchanging.” We are continually afraid of changing, but it is the only thing that continues. In the most basic sense of the word, everything is constantly in a state of change. From the moment, we begin life, the process of dying begins.

   Life is about growth. In the literal sense, if we never grow, we would be 9 pounds and 20 inches long for our entire lives. Besides that, if we stuck to the same principles we develop as a young person, we would all aspire to become ninjas, race car drivers, and professional athletes. The country would never function.

Confucius

   When you begin to shift your perspective, the very things around you that seem to be so stressful tend to look a little brighter. Suddenly the doom and gloom that weighed heavy on your chest seems to be just another drop in the bucket. Like Corona ads, shift your latitude.

   We usually sit with our backs against the wall like that awkward 8th grade dance. You eye up the people you’d like to dance with, if you could dance. You sit there waiting, hoping they talk to you without asking you to dance. Instead, we should dive right into the change and take it as an opportunity to flail around proudly.

  We have little control over the circumstances around us. We are limited to seeking new employment, ending a relationship, dwelling on something or someone we’ve lost, or some other forfeiture. Instead, we must look at what we do have control over. We must go within and approach change as an opportunity for personal growth. 

Abraham Lincoln

    The most important aspect of change is that it starts within. If we only focus on outward change, then we will always be discouraged, confused, and even lost. If we allow those outward changes to bring opportunity, we can grow through them and become even stronger. Don’t be afraid to change.

    If things aren’t going your way, you only have yourself to blame. You must be the one to enact the change that you need. Chances are, things are in constant motion all around you. Maybe you have become stagnant in your personal or professional life. You must be the one to take the first steps and welcome change.

   Do not dwell on the things that are happening right now. Don’t worry about the things that have already happened. Instead, focus on how you can make adjustments, grow, and make the changes necessary to be ahead of the game. If it weren’t for changing with the times, JFK would’ve never put the plans in place the ultimately put a man on the moon.

Sholom Aleichem

   The only way to grow is through change. Winston Churchill was near perfect. In the past thousand years or so, no one has been the target of so much hero worship as Mr. Churchill. It’s no wonder he is held in such high regard. He continually accepted the opportunity to change, thereby making himself better.

  Yet another world leader with an appreciation for change, Mr. Disraeli knew that there was no way to escape change. Instead, you must learn to adapt to the change that comes toward you. You never know what the universe is going to send your way, so it’s best to roll with the punches.

   Who would understand change more than Maya Angelou? The woman wrote the book on change. Literally. Reading her autobiographical writings, you get a sense that she never knew monotony. Her life was constantly turning over and upside down and over again. She had such powerful presence because she was so pliable to the ebb and flow of life.