Week 9 Assignment 4

My name is Jasmine Fitzgerald, and for many years I have lived my life through others, scared to take a risk. From finding out my sexuality, real friends, and moving out of state, I have taught myself that if I want to change, I am responsible for making it happen. Today I will share my philosophy of change and how the most superficial differences you make in life create a whole new outlook.

“Change equals self-improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t seen before.” – Pat Summitt

Self-improvement is the quest to make ourselves better in any and every facet of life. I believe the most challenging thing for a person to do, is to realize their flaws. If someone were to come up and ask you, “What is one thing you would change about yourself?” what would you say? I would be nonverbal at that moment. That’s how I was for most of my life, letting people tell me who I was or what I need to do, from my hair down to who I should like. I was tired of it. Finally, a change took over me and created a better self through many situations.

I came out as when I was in my freshmen year of college. I always knew about myself but hid it because I didn’t want to add another reason for someone to control me. I was the type that I thought I had “friends” but only was invited because of my famous older siblings. I was never known as Jasmine but as “Michael or Chris’s sister.” At that moment, you want to escape. Move from all things that create a terrible memory or hold you back. I found a true friend through that process in which I was finally able to move from what was holding me captive. I always stayed in a place because of other people, and this was my decision. Finally, something I CHOSE.

That choice I made helped me to become a better individual. I moved somewhere that I was able to express myself with little judgment openly. I work for a company that encourages their employees to change others and give us the gratitude of being our voice. My initiative and results- driven helped me take charge of myself and the opportunities presented to me. The innovation introduced me to something new and helped me decide what I wanted and what change meant.

Going from nonverbal to having a voice and a choice is an excellent way to address change. That is never the end of anyone’s story. In those few years, a part of me had died, and a new I was created. I had to change not only the outlook of myself but through others. I wanted them to see me for who I was. Sometimes that means losing the ones you love and moving somewhere you are not known.

You are probably thinking, what is your point? How can this affect my decision to change my life? How will these fundamentals support me in the future? If we only settle with words instead of actions, wherein there is a change being created?

These are questions that you may be thinking about while I am speaking with you. I finally was able to take my steps towards change by following them. Many steps include a philosophy of change that helped me through my journey and can help you also. I am going to list 10 of them but will only talk about a few. Communication, problem-solving, agility, self and social awareness, initiative, productivity, results-driven, relationship building, and innovations are fundamental to a philosophy of change.

The initiative is taking advantage of opportunities that pass by. Result- driven is the ability to get things done. Innovation is the introduction of something new. In my personal life, I used these to finally explore a whole new me and let others know that nothing can be taken for granted. Not only were these essential in my personal experiences but also in my professional experiences.

We have spoken about past experiences and the meaning behind the quote of a famous and inspiring basketball coach. We are finally coming to the end of my philosophy of change.

It is not easy for everyone to change. We all have barriers that we can’t push through or are not willing to break down. Ernest Gaines, an American writer, once said, “There will always be men struggling to change, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past.”

This world changes every day, and it’s up to us if we want to hear it. We can either be part of the change or look the other way. We can choose to make changes in our life or stay in the past. Life is not going to change itself. It is up to us to make the changes and create our philosophy.

I cannot tell you what to do with your life. My advice is to find yourself first, don’t let others dictate who you are, and don’t be afraid to make the change. It is going to be hard at first, but later it will be all worth it.