Creating change isn’t necessarily easy. And while a lot of us believe that just the desire to change will make things happen this is rarely the case. How often have you tried to start a diet or exercise regimen, quit smoking or get more organized?
It is rare to find total satisfaction and contentment with the status of our lives. Wanting different circumstances isn’t wrong. We are not failures for struggling to change. But there is an important component we must have before transformation can occur.
To make lasting changes, we need to understand why the condition we struggle with exists in our life in the first place. Our weight, lack of exercise, clutter (insert your favorite vice here) is a part of our life to serve some purpose. It satisfies a need within, even if that is the last thing we want to hear or believe.
A common misconception tells us we are wrong or somehow weak for not being able to rid ourselves of some overwhelming situation. This misconception hinders our progress toward change. By understanding how we create our life and what purpose our habits or conditions serve can open us up to real change.
Once we accept that which we want to be rid of, we are free of its power over us. This is truly the hardest part of change. Embracing ourselves the way we are. Accepting that we are right where we need to be at this particular point in time.
Everything that exists in our life is there for a purpose. When we push it away or fight against it, it clings to us. There are valuable lessons about who we are and what we need to realize about whatever situation we seem to be struggling in.
The more awareness we bring to understanding the purpose of our struggle the more control we have around implementing a change. We suddenly become free to create new means of dealing with the situation that plague us.
Life is not going to change the lessons it brings to us. There will always be chocolate cake, a stressor, a reason not to exercise. If you understand how and why you react to it, you can then choose a healthier reaction. The control of your reaction will then become your strength to change its outcome.
True change begins within. Until you create a new appreciation for who you are, in this moment, attempts to change your external circumstances will be difficult at best.
Remember your external world is a reflection of your internal thoughts.
