Does your environment support exploration and change? Look around. Are the people in your immediate environment—your friends, family and colleagues—open to change? Are they stimulating and interesting? Do they relate to change with “Bring it on!” or with suspicion or fear? If the people close to you avoid change they probably don’t want you to change either. They expect you to be reliable and predicable—to remain basically the same.
If your personal brand is as solid as concrete, changing now could be as risky as replacing the “old” Coca-cola with the “new” Coke. If you suggest moving in a new direction, you might hear comments like, “You’ve made it, don’t stress yourself now;” “Relax—you’ve earned it;” “Why would you want to take that on at your age?” or “You might not be successful at that” and “I did that and I didn’t like it.” Don’t be caught in these spider webs of complacency! Approach your escape from your rut strategically and nimbly. Remember the four inevitable downsides of change (see Chapter 5) and consider how they will affect your personal and professional stakeholders.
Then, my advice is to remember the management principal of “no surprises” and bring your stakeholders along with you on your new path.
1 Declare a change in your pattern. Let them know that you are on a new path or at new stage of growth.
2 Convey your emotion. “I am excited/enthusiastic/curious/intrigued.” Make it sound like 
an adventure and exploration.
3 Describe the benefit. “This is something that I always wanted to do” or “I am glad to be painting/ playing the piano again” or “This new role will put me right in the action—it will be exciting to shape the next phase.”
Always remember to surround yourself with people that will lift you higher,