By Leland Pulley
The times in which we live are changing. There are advances in many areas by mankind. There are opportunities today that did not exist years ago. These are some of the reasons there are life-style changes between generations. You should be aware of the things going on in your environment, and look for ways that change can be utilized to advance your situation. Opportunities need to be taken advantage of when these occur. You must learn to sort out good new things from bad new things and utilize those that will be beneficial for you and others.
Fortunately, some good change is forced on people by circumstances and situations beyond their control. You may not like this changing while it is going on, but after it is done you can see the benefits. You have learned and appreciate certain things more. You have strengthened yourself in specific areas and now are broader in your perspective.
Unfortunately, too many people tend to stay set in their same ways over the years. Their thinking patterns, attitudes, habits, routines, methods, activities, etc. do not change very much. It is as though there is a natural resistance to change. The reasons for this vary. Some ways of doing things are good and efficient. They meet the individual=s needs so why change them. Besides, the person is comfortable with who he is, what he has, or what he is accomplishing. Also, some people are not very curious or do not have a high need to learn or do different things. Thus, there is little motivation to change, improve, or test out new things.
Other obstacles to change are rooted in things like traditions and social patterns in one’s culture. There may be ignorance of better ways of doing things. Some people are lazier than others and laziness works against change. Some people have developed poor ways of doing things and are partially trapped by their own methods. A good example of this is bad habits and daily routines that waste time. Some individuals continue to make excuses for not changing because to them change is work. It demands resources like energy, money, or time and they feel that they do not have enough of these things now to meet all their needs.
In too many lives, circumstances seem to overwhelm the person and dominate his life. This limits his vision of better things and a brighter future through positive change. Related to this, many people simply do not see a better way to do something or have not been exposed to it. Thus, what they do not know does not seem to hurt them, and it certainly does not motivate them. Do you have limited vision?
There are individuals who refuse to look in the mirror and see their situation for what it really is. Reality is a hard thing to face at times. Too many people will not or cannot judge themselves well or accurately. Yet if such individuals would make an effort in this area, some progress would be made with time. It will become easier to look at the life they are leading and identify areas where things need to change or be improved. They will get to know themselves better and be more objective in judging themselves. They will tend to see themselves more as others do. How well do you judge yourself?
Even when people can see the need of change and want to do it, they lack the strength to make the positive changes needed. They must decide changes are needed and set some priorities. Too many changes at once will lead to discouragement in one’s efforts and failure in results. Goals set need to be realistic.
One source of help is to gain knowledge in the area you want to change or improve. Learn from others who have achieved in this same area. Some methods, techniques, and strategies may work better for you than others. Know the facts. Be honest with yourself so your desires, and true self, and efforts are in harmony.
A great source of help is other people who know you and care about you. Ask for their opinions of you and your lifestyle. Try to get comments in specific areas like your self-image, relationships, attitudes, methods, habits, etc. If you are sincere with others, they will generally be sincere with you. If you listen to them and set some goals related to their advice, they will encourage you and help you to make improvements in your life. When this occurs, friendship is nourished, relationships are strengthened, and a feeling of spiritual love is manifested between people. Do you let others help you?
The choice is yours. You can be the type of person who sees the months and years go by with little real improvements being made. Changes are few and real progress in life is slow. Or you can be the person who with time sees definite improvements and real progress in your life. This latter choice leads to a better and happier you in the long run.
Key Words – life-style changes, opportunities, circumstances and situations, resistance to change, traditions and social patterns, limited vision, judge yourself, priorities, knowledge, others help you
Return to Articles page to read more articles.
If you have any comments or feedback on this article, use the Contact Us page.