An inhibitor is a substance or material that slows down or halts some activity.
A contributor is someone who takes part in something or makes a contribution
At Change Or Be Changed, we seek to find the moments where life informs us and share those with our community. Today I was going to the airport to return a rental car when an Audi SUV decided he wanted to cut me off. Determined to maintain my position, I squeezed up close to the car in front of me and saw him trying to cut into the car behind me. The next thing I knew, his car clipped the side of my car. After the information was exchanged and I barely made my flight, I realized my desire to maintain that spot one car ahead of his had made me an inhibitor. It put my progress in getting to the airport to a halt. Additionally, it will impact my funds, and more importantly, it was all avoidable.
Too often, we see change coming, and we want to stay in our current lane and not let anyone else in. We reject the notion that if we just ease back, take a breath, and slow down, there might be something we would have missed along the way. In my situation, I would have missed the accident.
“When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.” Eleanor Roosevelt
When change happens, if we become aware of our mindset, we make a shift from just reacting as we always have to consider our options. Today when the car was trying to squeeze in, I could not have reacted with the typical “not cutting me off” mindset and be considerate and, in return, avoided the entire incident.
When we want things to change, we become frustrated with those who try to slow or halt the changes we want. Therefore, we might consider the same response to changes others are trying to make. Find a way to contribute to your work, health, family, friends, and community. When we elevate our approach, we create a shift that, over time, can have a ripple effect.
Think back over the last 90 days and consider a time when you have been a contributor and the outcome that you had.
Now consider a time when you tried to inhibit change; what outcome did that have?
Would a different mindset and approach foster a different outcome?