Not much good happens in this world without the help of some sort of change. It may be a change of attitude, a change of heart, or a new perspective, but something causes us to back up, get a firmer footing, and leap out of our stuckness.
Change is uncomfortable
It’s been said that change is hard at first, messy in the middle and oh, so, amazing in the end. Amazing or not, if we can’t get a clear picture of where it’s going to take us, the thought of change can be a very much unwanted complication in our lives.
It’s a little like the time I made a quick trip to grab a few things at a nearby store. I hadn’t been to the store in quite some time, but I knew exactly where I was headed. As I crossed the parking lot, I remember thinking that if I made a beeline to the department, and the check stands weren’t too busy, I could be in and out, and back on the road in 10 minutes or less. That optimistic plan changed the minute I burst through the front door.
It is a shock to our system
Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) was different. I wasn’t aware that they’d been working on a major store remodel for months. The colors were different, the layout was different, it looked like a whole new store—a store I wasn’t the least bit familiar with.
Instead of a quick trip, I felt more like I was on a scavenger hunt. Searching aisle by aisle for the items I needed seemed to take forever. I never did find a few of the things I was looking for, but I’m pretty sure I got at least 10,000 steps in during that single “should-have-been-quick” trip. It was maddening.
Change can, actually, be a good thing
Over the subsequent months, I learned to appreciate the new layout and the upscale environment. The way they placed the products started to make sense. To be honest, it was way more logical than it was before. The freshness of the store gave me a lift and I found some interesting things I’d never noticed before. The change, although uncomfortable at first, made for a much better shopping experience.
So why all this talk about change?
In recent months I’ve found myself drowning in the messy middle of change. I had great resolve about getting back to blogging after my husband’s battle with kidney cancer and was actually excited about some of the new materials I’d been working on. And then came an avalanche of unexpected and unwanted change.
Three of the key computer programs that are essential for blogging and creating our other tools have had total “make-overs” since the first of the year. It’s been very frustrating.
Just like when I opened the door of the remodeled store, nothing looked familiar anymore. I was forced to stop and research how to do even the simplest tasks. What I used to do without a thought, would often require an hour or more of searching for the new way to do it.
Unfortunately, as we often do when we’re making a change (whether it’s by force or by choice), I frequently found myself procrastinating. It was far easier to focus on silly, non-essential tasks instead of diving head first into the unknown.
Eventually, I began to get it
In spite of my initial reticence, I slowly began to see the benefits of the frustrating revisions. Serendipitously, the unwanted shake-up helped me look at a lot of other things in a new way as well. I began to ask myself “is there a better way to view this/do this, that would bring more beneficial results?” Just asking the question opened my eyes to options I’d never bothered to consider.
All too often, we get stuck doing or saying the same things over and over. We don’t necessarily like how it turns out, but we’re afraid or unsure of how to try something different. What we may not realize is that nothing is as painful or frustrating as being stuck in old habits and patterns that cause us to repeat the same disappointing scenario day after day after day.
The secret to change is twofold. First, we must allow ourselves to entertain trying something different. And, once we get that internal permission, we need to be
There’s a good chance you’ll need the help of God and your earthly cheerleaders to give you the vision, wisdom, and courage to take that first step. But, it won’t take long for you to see that even a little change provides new opportunities, new successes, and new hope for the future.
“But now, this is what the LORD says . . . .Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep thinking about them. I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don’t you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
Today’s Chat: What, in your life, could use a little change? Is it an attitude, a habit, an outdated system, a way of approaching an ongoing problem, a belief? How could you do it different? If you don’t know, who could help you explore that?
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