A while back I got to thinking about how we can have a habit of resisting changes, even ones we already know are inevitable. I came down to three primary reasons we resist: happiness, inertia, and fear.
I then thought of three answers to these causes…
- Happiness: So we’re happy now and don’t know that we’ll be so happy in the new situation. There’s two things we need to realize here. First, there’s no way of knowing how happy we can be until we’re there. Second, there’s no way of knowing we’d have as easy a time staying happy should we not take that path!
- Inertia: Okay, this one’s tough. A static body has a much harder time getting moving than one that’s already in motion. However, that alone is reason to start going in any good direction. Easier said than done, but once started, it becomes easier done.
- Fear: Okay now this is just the biggie. So much of life gets ruled by fear, left to its own devices. It’s the most powerful phantom I know of. However, like any phantom, it’s also the easiest defeated once we go to punch a hole into it and find we can reach right through. The trick is to get as many facts as we can, identify which unknowns still give us the willies, and find the bolstering needed to cross our fingers and take the plunge.
Of course, change becomes easier with practice. Pick something you know you’ve been meaning to change, but start with something small and easy. Stick with that, and try something just a bit harder. Don’t get discouraged when you slip, just nod at yourself and start again.
You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.
Leave a comment