Change Is Good

Click on image to view larger.

Yesterday's prompt in my art journal class was "Change is good." And it was right on track for my thoughts over the past several weeks.

I believe that very few people really enjoy change. I know there are those who relish novelty and need to have constant changes in stimuli, but I can't say that I actually know any of these people. Most people I know, particularly my family, would prefer for life to stay just the way it is, no matter how stagnant or stressful the situation. I mean, everyone gives lip service to wanting things to change, wanting life to be easier, wanting things to be better but very few do anything to make those changes happen. Making the move from wishing to doing takes a considerable amount of courage. It's like the place we know in life, no matter how difficult, is preferable to the unknown. So often, we are willing to settle for the familiar rather than embrace change.

I was certainly guilty of this kind of thinking in the past. But about a year ago, the reality finally sank in - if I wanted my life to change, then I was going have to consciously make that happen. I could no longer be a passive bystander in this game of life. I would have to move into the driver's seat. Luckily, my husband Jim came to this same place in his life at exactly the same time, although his route was quite a bit different than mine. We both had fears and issues about change...but we knew we were ready to stop letting fear rule the roost. Believe me, adopting this new attitude was not easy but it was absolutely essential to the process.


I'm still learning to see change as good. My initial reaction to change is a tightening of my stomach muscles and a brief spasm of nausea, but it resolves in a couple of seconds. And then I take a deep breath and remember all of the wonderful things that have happened for our family since we decided to live life on our terms. So I relax and smile. It's just another small step along this journey that is our amazing life.


How do you react to change?