Is it just me or does anyone else find that changing is hard? I’ve been trying really hard this summer to work on various things that I would like to change in my life…behaviours, patterns, hair styles…all of which have happened to no avail. Well, I say that but who knows…six months from now I may catch myself doing something and think “geez…that’s different, when did I start responding that way?” I’ve always thought of change as something that happens to me…instead of a process that tends to occur over time, often without us even noticing.
I’ve been finding the struggle to change rather interesting though because as a whole, change is one of the few things that we can really count on in life. It happens time and time again, whether we want it to or not. In turn, we find ourselves adapting to it time and time again (also, whether we want to or not!!) so, it leads me to believe that the act of change should come rather naturally to us, shouldn’t it? Or do we perhaps resist it because of the very reason that it already happens so often outside of our control?
As usual, I don’t have the answers to any of these questions but, I do know that it’s almost embarrassing to admit how many times I’ve tried to change my ways, only to find myself months later in the same trap that I’ve aimlessly been trying to free myself from. And I can’t quite figure out why. It’s not for lack of commitment or ambition. It’s not for lack of determination or vision. I’ve proven in more ways than one that all of these qualities are ingrained in the very essence of the person that I am. So I find myself puzzled!
I did however find comfort as of late in the Book of Romans, Verse 7:15…
“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”
It appears that even two thousand years ago, people were struggling with the same desire to be the very best version of them selves and yet, found their “usual ways” to be more overbearing than our ability to resist temptation.
I don’t know whether to feel encouraged or sad at this reality. For all of our coping mechanisms, change doesn’t seem to be one of those things that instinctively kicks-in when needed most. For all of the ways that we’ve evolved over the centuries, I’m stunned to find that there are certain things that never do change in the end. Our desire for chocolate and pretty shoes being one of them!
I guess what they say is true after all…the more things change, the more they stay the same!
I’ve been finding the struggle to change rather interesting though because as a whole, change is one of the few things that we can really count on in life. It happens time and time again, whether we want it to or not. In turn, we find ourselves adapting to it time and time again (also, whether we want to or not!!) so, it leads me to believe that the act of change should come rather naturally to us, shouldn’t it? Or do we perhaps resist it because of the very reason that it already happens so often outside of our control?
As usual, I don’t have the answers to any of these questions but, I do know that it’s almost embarrassing to admit how many times I’ve tried to change my ways, only to find myself months later in the same trap that I’ve aimlessly been trying to free myself from. And I can’t quite figure out why. It’s not for lack of commitment or ambition. It’s not for lack of determination or vision. I’ve proven in more ways than one that all of these qualities are ingrained in the very essence of the person that I am. So I find myself puzzled!
I did however find comfort as of late in the Book of Romans, Verse 7:15…
“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”
It appears that even two thousand years ago, people were struggling with the same desire to be the very best version of them selves and yet, found their “usual ways” to be more overbearing than our ability to resist temptation.
I don’t know whether to feel encouraged or sad at this reality. For all of our coping mechanisms, change doesn’t seem to be one of those things that instinctively kicks-in when needed most. For all of the ways that we’ve evolved over the centuries, I’m stunned to find that there are certain things that never do change in the end. Our desire for chocolate and pretty shoes being one of them!
I guess what they say is true after all…the more things change, the more they stay the same!
1 comment:
I liked your observations and to this I would add my own. Change external is a constant, change is brought upon us, or affects us regularly. We humans adapt as we must to the changes that come externally upon us. It may be something small or something life altering, and forwhatever reason we humans seem to adapt to some grrater or lesser extent.
How different it is when we humans must generate change, to manifest it from our own internal motivations. This is far harder for many reasons. We biologically do not seem as a species willing to make change, while the dichotomy is that no species ever created more change. Pehpahs the issue at the end of the day is psychological, and lies within our motivation and focus on what we care about. From the caring and motivational aspect not only are we able to embrcae change, but to cause it based on caring, and our motivational values.
Just a addenda to a throught through arguement.
love Uncle Neil
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