Ah…change. You hear it so often that it sounds like a broken record.
“Change is hard,” they say. It is indeed true. Change is hard and not equally so for everyone.
How hard changing yourself depends on factors such as your past experiences, your mental and physical state, your goals, your level of motivation – essentially your circumstances.
Ever ask yourself,
“Why is it so damn hard for me to change?”
Change is going from one state to another. At times, you may want to change, but you may not necessarily want yo give up being in your current state.
For example, you have to give up eating certain foods if you want to eat healthier.
You want to eat healthier and be healthier, BUT you don’t want to give up eating those yummy candy bars or doughnuts.
You may find yourself failing to make a change within yourself and that zaps your motivation. This is one of the most common reasons many give up. It’s important to stay motivated and one way to power through this stage is to always have something or someone that will refill your motivation when you run out!
Have an accountable buddy or a partner. Keep a motivational video from your favorite role model.
Much like you take a shower to keep yourself clean or eat when you get hungry, you must also refill that motivation tank when it gets empty!
Have you ever been in an argument with someone and felt completely drained afterwards? Or perhaps you’ve stayed angry at someone for an extended period of time and found it mentally taxing.
At times, it is much easier to let go then to cling on to things. Too much burden can cause irreversible changes to our bodies. Small changes add up to big impacts!
In order to change yourself, you may go through phases where you will change and then revert back to your old ways. View this phase as progress and realize that you are not set in your old habits as much as you were prior to your journey in changing yourself.
Change isn’t immediate. Change is a gradual transformation.
Have you ever met someone in your life that you couldn’t tolerate and questioned why that person behaves in a way that doesn’t sit well with you? I know I have! Many times actually!
I never think to myself that it’s much easier for me to adapt to that person rather than to wish to control the way someone is.
How others behave is outside of our control. What we can control is our internal state and we must master it to deal with uncontrollable external factors in life.
Your emotions dictate your thoughts. Your thoughts dictate your words and actions. Your words and actions dictate your next circumstance.
It’s ironic how the few things you can truly control — your internal state, your thoughts, and your emotions — are so easily controlled by others. Have you ever been insulted and it had ruined your day? Or perhaps maybe you lashed out in response?
Think of how much energy and time it takes for a person to say just a few select words that really set you off and make you angry, sad, or feel unpleasant…Now think of just how much and how long of an impact it has on you. My point is that you lose that battle by a huge margin!
Just by allowing yourself to feel less at the sound of certain words directed at you, you not only allow yourself to be controlled but also tax your body and occupy your mental real estate for sometime after.
Start with always being aware of how you feel–especially during trying times. Once you’re used to that, then begin to think of outcomes of different reactions. It’s simple, but difficult. Though the pay off is literally life-changing!
Why is such a difficult thing worth it? Well, there are many reasons, but if I had to pick one, it would have to be because I only get to live once and I want to make it the best experience I possibly can!
