Last Monday, we wrote about clearing space in your mind so that you can make room for new experiences. It sounds wonderful, so why do you keep putting it off? What’s stopping you from exploring that cave, or applying for that job, or buying a plane ticket to Japan? In part, we get used to our lives the way they are, and it is comfortable. Also, we resist change.
We resist change largely because we think change is difficult. But change is not difficult if you understand yourself and the process. Changing our patterns means not identifying with our behaviors. Our behaviors are not us. They are just by-products of our old thinking patterns. The responses we get from our behaviors are not us either. They are just the feedback from those behaviors. In essence, we are good. Let’s change so that we are able to think better, create positive behaviors, and allow positive feedback.
When we master proper thinking, we are better able to adapt to our ever-changing lives. Nothing is ever static. If you do not initiate change, something in our environments will. In other words, change is inevitable. Because the environment is constantly changing, we need to adapt to the change. Many people will forge a routine and stick to it, but that is not prudent if everything around you is falling apart. Imagine that you see a pedestrian about to get hit by an oncoming car. Do you push him out of the way, or do you stand there and wait for the light because that is what you always do? It is an extreme and admittedly ridiculous example, but the point is that routine is not always necessary or desirable.
So when you are creating your life, and wonder if you are ready to experience a major change because you desperately cling to your routines, know that you cannot really keep things the same anyway. Every day, your body gets a little bit older, your wedding day or other special event gets one less day away, and you are experiencing small alterations in your patterns every hour of every day. You may get your Grande Latte with only one shot today because a new barista is working, or a cute puppy follows you home and you are not sure what to do, or the son you thought needed tutoring comes home with an A. Surprises are normal. Get used to it. Revel in the good ones, and take the setbacks in stride. Let the downturns ride, and make an effort in your day to achieve your goals.
Time passes whether you do nothing and just allow things to unfold, or you make a bold move to make your life better. Which is it going to be?
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