Everyone doesn’t like the idea of change. The word itself causes some people to become uneasy. But it’s all the things they attach to it— discomfort, pain, etc.
It really depends on how you look at the word change. I try to see the possibilities in the word— the possibility of becoming better, the possibility of improving my life in some way, or the possibility of growing as a result of a new situation.
Becoming better is a choice that you get to make for yourself. You are the one who gets to decide in what ways you’d like to see yourself improve. Sometimes you need to take a closer look at parts of yourself that you may usually avoid. That’s probably the best place to start.
Here’s a scenario: let’s say that you always find yourself getting into trouble at school. And, let’s say that this trouble usually happens when you’re with a certain group of people. Let’s say that you never get into any trouble when this group of people is not around.
Take a closer look at the situation. What’s been happening? You’ve been getting into trouble at school when you’re around a certain group of people. What would you like to start happening? Hopefully, you want to stop getting into trouble. That’s a good choice, but it’s only the beginning. Next, ask yourself what needs to change.
And here comes that word. Change. In this situation, not changing is keeping you from staying out of trouble. That was only one example. This lesson works with almost any situation though— whether you want to stop procrastinating; start a new diet and exercise program; set and stick to short-term or long-term goals; etc.
Being better starts with a choice. The actions that follow should support that choice. Actions always mean more than words, but here they mean the difference between improving yourself and not changing at all. If you want to stop getting into trouble at school, the necessary action is to avoid the group of people that draws trouble to you.
Think of yourself as a project— one that you can better with the choices you make and the actions you take. As with anything, getting better will take practice. In many situations, the work will require more effort than you might have thought. But if the end result is a better you, then it’s definitely worth the work.
It’s time to change your mind about change.
