Gus Takkale - The Road: A Journey Through the 5 Cs of Change

GENERAL STORE PUBLISHING HOUSE

499 OBrien Road, Box 415

Renfrew, Ontario, Canada K7V 4A6

Telephone 1.613.432.7697 or 1.800.465.6072

www.gsph.com

ISBN 978-1-926962-85-6

Copyright Gus Takkale 2012

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means without

the prior written permission of the publisher or,

in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence

from Access Copyright (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency),

1 Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1E5.

Cover art, design, formatting: Magdalene Carson.

Published in Canada.

Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada.

Contents

Pre-Travel Check:
Ensure the Engine Is Ready

Pack Your Bags:
Assemble the Necessary Tools
for the Road

Change Location C1:
CHARACTER

CHARACTER:
Eliminating self-limiting beliefs

Change Location C2:
CONSTRUCTIVENESS

CONSTRUCTIVENESS:
Shifting your perspective

Change Location C3:
COMMITMENT

COMMITMENT:
Statement of Commitment and
Self-Reward Scheme

Change Location C4:
COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION:
Personal strategy Starting conversations

Change Location C5:
CONTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTION:
Establishing contribution habits

What people are saying ...

THE ROAD:

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE 5CS OF CHANGE

Guss 5 Cs of Change is practical and powerful. It speaks to a process that can, and will, unleash unlimited personal potential when put into practice.

Michael Hughes

President, Michael J. Hughes Consulting & Training Inc., and Canadas Networking Guru

Guss 5 Cs of Change is inspirational and fun with practical, down-to-earth guidance that you can implement starting today!

Bob Urichuck

Author of Disciplined for Life, You Are the Author of Your Future, and Up Your Bottom Line

Gus is a high-energy seminar leader with a book that will make a significant difference in your life.

Roger Ellerton

Author of Live Your Dreams: Let Reality Catch Up

WWW.GUSTAKKALE.COM

This book is dedicated to my two angels

Ryan and Jenna

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me the power to pursue my passion and write this book.

To my children, Ryan and Jenna, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so blessed to have you and truly hope that when you are old enough, you will embrace this book as a guide for your happiness. I love you both from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for putting so much joy into my life.

To my mother and father, Mony and Joe, I can barely find the words to express my gratitude for all the love and support you have given me. Thank you.

To my brother Fadi, your constant help in giving me the flawless expressions I need to emphasize my points in this book was invaluable. Thank you.

To my brother Tareq, your continuous striving to get me to take breaks and exercise with you regularly was excellent fuel for my energy to write. Thank you.

To my sister Dana, your resourcefulness in always getting what I need whenever I am in Canada was very beneficial. Thank you.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL

Introduction

We make hundreds of decisions every day, from the moment we wake up until the time we go to sleep what we want to wear, what to eat for breakfast, which route to take to work, which lane to drive in it goes on and on. DECISIONS! We are used to making so many decisions unconsciously that we sometimes do the routine without realizing our own power to choose.

We come into this world and then we leave, with no control over when we are born or when we die. The key element that resides between birth and death is TIME . Therefore, what we decide to do with that time will define our way of life.

The way of life becomes our journey for change and success in everything we do at home, work, and play. For us to embark on the journey, we need to be on this amazing road of endless opportunities. This road will take you to places you never considered or thought you could reach. You will pass through different change locations throughout this exciting adventure. You will cross bridges, hit bumpy streets, pull yourself uphill, glide downhill, and even drive through areas you have always wanted to experience. Its going to be a trip!

For the past seventeen years, as a Human Resources and Change Management Consultant, I have been on this road with many individuals and organizations, working with peoples issues on a daily basis. Being involved in speaking engagements and conducting numerous seminars all over the world, I feel truly privileged for having the opportunity to dig deeply into peoples way of life both personally and professionally.

As a corporate professional, a coach, a father, a brother, a son, and a friend, I am inspired by helping people achieve a way of life that keeps them fulfilled a quality of life they can be proud of. I have discovered that such efforts boil down to changing habits and behaviours. Its about instilling lasting change change that sticks! I have also learned that the fundamental thing about instilling lasting change is that everyone has his or her own modus operandi, their own individual formula.

There is no one-way solution to quitting smoking, embracing organizational change, or finding the love of your life. What works for one person might not necessarily be the solution for another. Therefore, the advice that you get from family, friends, magazines, books, or the Internet may not necessarily be practical for you.

Change is personal. Once you have found your own formula and discovered what works for you, seize it! Then take that and simply apply it to the areas of your life you want to improve.

I have no doubts that anyone who truly wants to go on the Road will succeed, provided that he or she puts his or her mind and energy toward real life improvement. I have seen too many people defeated by the everyday problems in life, surrendering to life as if they were just a punching bag taking the hits. We all know people who are constantly complaining about how life is terrible and how their luck is bad. Its a real pity to see people defeated and allowing themselves to be conquered again and again.

Yes, life is difficult and complex. Bad things can even creep up on you unexpectedly. I acknowledge that many tragedies exist in this world, and we all experience ups and downs as life goes on. However, I personally do not let this dominate my mentality. I refuse to become mentally submissive to these challenges that could destroy my overall happiness and well-being.

Surely, I have tried changing different areas in my life before and failed miserably. Sometimes I succeeded for a while, but then ultimately failed again. For example, I lost weight for a certain period of time only to gain it right back. I also finally managed to get myself out of debt but went right back into it again. I kept feeling like I was in a circle of doom with no end, going back and forth. Every time I tried to change, I kept telling myself that I have been down that road and would find myself right back where I started. I failed again and again.

So how did I finally succeed in instilling lasting change? I changed my state of mind first by taking responsibility of recognizing that I am not right back where I started. By going through the experience of changing, I learned what works for me and what doesnt which brought me closer to finding my formula. I consciously equipped myself with new tools as I gained more experience from previous attempts. I consequently found my own formula for success.