Change is hard.....

CHANGE

It is such a big word.

Change is hard

Change is scary

                Change can cause more stress in your life than your Aunt Mildred who won’t stop asking “why you are not married yet”.  It is worse than any Deadline you could possibly have a work. It is worse than the loss of an important relationship. In fact we will worry, and plan, and stew over it, and plan again before we will actually take the steps to try to make a change. We will sabotage our efforts before we are even started on the road to it by surrounding ourselves with friends and family that do not expect it. We will harm our self-esteem by using negative self-statements to keep us from believing we are capable of it. We will even tell the world and everyone in it that we don’t care to do it with our “I don’t have to attitude.”

                Let’s get real….we have to do it. We already are doing it. A human being is forced to change through physiology every day. Our brains are hungry for information. The spirit is always looking for ways to find happiness, and the body wants to be challenged. So why do we make such a big deal out of it? We reward it like a Pulitzer Prize when anyone can pull it off, and we don’t even try to hide our disappointment when someone tries and fails to reach their goal. Small changes are looked upon as not enough, and big promises that are never fulfilled are considered better in some social and business circles.

                Granted, at this point I have been talking about changes that we have little control of. They will happen whether or not we have the will power, strength, or smarts to get them done. So let’s talk about the harder changes. Diet, exercise, improving our self-esteem, improving your health,  loving yourself, landing a better job, beating addiction, finding god or a spiritual connection with the world, changing the course of a relationship, learning to be a better parent, or partner. These are the big ones; they are the changes we procrastinate because we fear a very public failure. These are the changes that if we cannot or will not make, will deeply affect our ability to be truly happy. Are you actually doing harm to others because you won’t change? Does being stagnant in one area of your life affect the rest with its Karmic quicksand? Is it time?

If your answer to any of those questions was yes, then here are a few steps to get you started. Break out your pen and paper and get to work. Change can be liberating.

·         Ask yourself what it is that you want to change.

·         Be specific about your current behavior.

·         Develop strategies and intermediate goals that will help you to reach the ultimate goal.

·         Identify the situations that may make you susceptible to the undesirable behavior.

If you need any help with your future changes, the staff at Health and Fitness Academy is ready for you!

Call 208.557.2823 or email me at ghouston@mvhospital.net.