The Power to Change

Is REAL change possible?

No, not the superficial kind of change. You know, the kind that lasts for three days if we’re lucky, and then we go right back to our old, “natural’ way of doing things. No, we’re not talking about that kind of change. We’re referring to the kind of change that permeates every aspect of our being. The kind where people take notice and say…. “something’s different about you.” Yes, the kind of change that speaks to our core, our inside guts first and then cannot be stopped from eventually being expressed, spilled onto the outside. We are not always longing for this kind of change, but when we are ready, and I mean really fed up with our current circumstances, we’ll do whatever it takes to have it!

Listed below are not “climb to the top of the mountain” or “run a marathon” in sixty seconds type of solutions, but some incremental steps that could have great potential to lead us towards lasting change:

• Start with hope: Why hope? It comes wrapped in light. If we ever ask what good will it do? Hope offers the light to take a peak into what’s possible and helps us see what’s been possible that perhaps we’ve been neglecting all along. This is the same hope that can be used as a reminder to gently nudge us toward the direction of change.
• Let go first: This is important. At times with others we wait for the other person to make the first move, to open the door that will allow us to reconcile when a wrong has occurred for instance. But what happens when we ‘wrong’ our own selves . Do we wait for ourself to make up the actions that hurt us or wait for our self to somehow make it right? Sure we do… Just like we can do with ourselves, we can do with others.

Some of us spend a lifetime waiting for the other person to make the first move. But if we’re ever looking for something to be “made up”… some things just can’t be made up. They must be let go. It is up to us to take the lead and let go first. We too will also learn to admire this side of ourselves that took the lead and eventually forgave. All of a sudden the boundaries that were holding us back, are now broken… we are whole and now ready for change.

• Give this way: The way of love is made clear in 1 Cor 13 of the Bible. But it is somewhat unclear until we take a peek into the life of the One and only Son of the living God who sacrificially gave his life for all mankind. There were three ways in which Jesus Christ showed His love: inspiration-ally, intentionally, and instruction-ally. Think of hope as the ‘inspirational’ part; forgiveness as ‘intentional’, and giving as the ‘instructional’ part. We can love ourselves this way. Giving ourselves enough respect to motivate and work with ourselves through change. (Hint: start with the book of Luke!)

• Stick to the Plan: Get a plan and stick to it. It’s sounds easy right? Well the previous step should help us to formulate some kind of plan to intentionally love ourselves and find some ways to practice “habit reconstruction” in order to really implement change into our lives. Once we’ve started, even if we fall several times, we should always own the plan. It lies before us waiting for us to stay steady and be diligent with it. It is honorable to do so.
• Get Wisdom: Above all else, the bible says (Prov. 4:5)! It is how to really lay the foundation that will lead the way to changing our circumstances. We don’t always know every decision we should make. But even the act of just asking for wisdom, helps us to give a level of attention to any situation that will indeed open our eyes and ears up to the clues surrounding us linked to our destiny. Whatever we need can be found in the wisdom we ask for from above.
• Self Care: Not to sound all “new-agey,” and maybe we hear this one a little too often, but it really can not be overlooked. To the measure we take care of ourselves is how we are going to respond to the situations around us, the situations that need attention. There are things in our life that are screaming at us, looking for us to simply give up, not to show up, not to go above and beyond, to just accept what it has to offer. If we are diligent in the above, we should look forward to gaining skill in this area, and as a result fending these things that try to keep us bound. If we are diligent in self care, we can expect the other areas to work together.

Overall, change is simply about us getting back to the basics and seeing things clearly enough to incorporate new or revisit old, good habits into our daily lives.

Related article(s): “The Secret Weapon” 

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