This book was initially written a few years ago. At that time, I had endured many life changes and was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Then life took several more large turns. Five years later, I am taking the time to share the many lessons I have learned along the way.
These inflection points or change points require us to view life differently, to respond to life differently, or to live life differently. I learned that there is no steady state— change is continual. Or, perhaps change is the steady state.
Through these many changes, I learned a great deal about coping, sometimes gracefully and sometimes less than gracefully. Yet, I live and endure and have transformed much of my life in very positive ways in response to changes that could have undermined me.
In this book, I do not detail my own life. Rather, I offer you, the reader, some of the techniques I use in managing or coping with large and small changes in my world. These have been my survival techniques, and will serve as my reference, reminder, and guide for managing future changes. I write this as much for me as for you, in hopes that it can do the same for you.
Interestingly, many of these techniques are utilized in business (in which I am a professor and consultant), in creativity teachings, and in self-development or personal growth literature.
The book is illustrated by Sandy Gullikson. Many years ago, I purchased Sandy’s greeting cards. Wanting more cards and not being able to find them, I phoned the “800-number” on the back of the card. A few minutes later, Sandy returned my call. She told me she liked to get to know her customers, and offered to send me a catalog. She lived in Vermont at the time.
It was a serendipitous encounter. After seeing more of her illustrations, with their whimsical, happy animals combined with their very insightful captions, I realized that Sandy was really speaking about the process of life itself. She seemed to have a soulful, spiritual view of life, combined with wonderful humor. Her inspirational, uplifting designs reminded me very much of the process of change. I always smiled at Coyote and his red cowboy boots.
Sandy and I spoke again, more than once, and I asked if she would be favorable to using her illustrations in this book on change. I sent her the manuscript as it was then, and she was pleased to be part of the project. She said she found it “inspirational and uplifting.”
Much of the rest is history, and here is the book that results from the collaboration of Sandy’s art and my writing. Sadly, I never met Sandy, who died in 2002 from Lou Gehrig’s disease. I hope this book will serve as a commemoration of the inspiration she gave to me and to others through her art. My hope also is that this “Survival Guide” helps you not just cope with changes, but use them as vehicles for growth.
JoNel
2003
