Change......not an option

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change’ - Charles Darwin

In 2013’s season of America’s Got Talent, a female escape artist who calls herself ‘Alexanderia the Great’ put on quite a show when she escaped from a straightjacket under water. I almost fell off my seat in anxiety for her when the time was almost up and she was still in the jacket……under water! It was thrilling to watch, the adrenalin rush was undeniable and I was amazed at how she did it because her survival seemed impossible.

Ok, what has that go to do with change? Well, I can relate that holding on to certain mindsets, idiosyncrasies, attitudes, traits and habits that are destructive and do us no good is like putting on the straightjacket and plunging into water…..doom is imminent.

I have come to see that change is an outstanding gift that God has bestowed on mankind. It’s one of the characteristics peculiar to humans which lend us an advantage over animals and inanimate objects, if indeed we embrace it. It is an opportunity to be in control and re-create; a chance at dynamism and growth.

It seems like a concept that can be farfetched yet mundane to human existence, the need to adapt to situations. Change in essence is a renewal of the mind, a shift in perspective, a decision to employ a different strategy, to think in a different way and a adaptative response to varying circumstances.

Without change, we are doomed; I mean that in every sense of the word. I have seen over time how people get sucked into dicey situations that could have been avoided if something was done differently and in the same vein how circumstances turn around positively because a different approach was employed.

It is natural to resist change because it comes with some entropy and heat that not everyone is willing to face and thus we tend to find it more convenient to stick with the usual. Sometimes we resist change because of uncertainty….fear of the unknown. Really, it takes guts to up and leave the comfort zone, albeit how unpalatable it maybe. Habits are difficult to break, a lot of effort, commitment and discipline are required and sometimes it can seem like too much work. You think about what people are going to say, how the changes made will be interpreted; you worry about the results and then conclude that it is better to leave things just the way they are.

Sometimes, you actually yearn for change, you try to but nothing is different and it seems like growth eludes you. Change requires determination, work, persistence, consistency and discipline…….but it begins with just a choice, a conscious decision to think differently. It requires deliberate effort and commitment.

You don’t like your looks, do something about it rather than moan. You feel you can do better than you are doing right now, then get to work. You are not very pleased with some habits you have imbibed, break them. You know some of your attitudes do you no good, lose them. You can see that the friends you have will get you nowhere, cut them off. Your present results are not great, use a different approach.

Be committed to putting in the required effort and sacrifice it takes to be a better person than you are. Do not be afraid of the criticism and sneers change may bring initially, I have discovered that people tend to criticize what they don’t understand or what makes them uncomfortable but the proof of the pudding will lie in its taste.

Sometimes, change will require you eat the humble pie, go on and swallow it, you won’t get constipation. Never let pride keep you in a cage that you know you don’t wanna be in. Do not change to impress people, change to be a better person, for you. When the nudge to make changes comes with that inner prompting to let certain destructive things go, don’t fight it in fear. Stand strong and courageous and let it produce growth.

There is no maturity without change because maturity in essence is about a change in perspective, in the way we interpret things and life. Change is a concept, an ability and a MANDATE for a child of God, not an option (Rom 12:2). It is your responsibility and should be a daily attitude!

Change is one of God’s gifts that we should embrace wholeheartedly and thankfully. A teachable spirit is one of the most attractive and rewarding character traits an individual can develop, quite a great add on any single’s CV *wink*

Now, I am pretty sure there is no news to all of the above for some folks but I have this strong impression that somebody out there needs this, I hope it reaches you. Muchos Lovos!

Mo’ Omoregee 2013