The Challenge of Change.

My youngest son, Owen , and I had an important conversation.  Both of us had slid into the familiar of habit--balance was no longer a part of our lives.  I clung to the house, not giving a second thought to possibilities outside my door. Owen, on the other hand, always on the go, was not fully present the time he was home.  We made a pact.  For the next two weeks, we would consciously leave our comfort zone and we made a plan.

Day one was not a resounding success.  Owen was sidetracked by his life outside of this house.  I went through the motions of getting out but really didn't enjoy the process as much as I had wished.  I made sure the uncomfortable situation was of  short duration.  It is a good thing that accountability takes place on a weekly basis.  There still is  plenty of time for improvement and getting use to the idea of change.

And that is the whole point of my writing today.  Change, even if it is for good,  can be work.  Habits after they are formed are easy.  Habits are all the things we do without a second thought.  Usually our "bad" habits are innocent in the beginning.  If you eat a dessert now and then, it is okay.  The trouble is that without conscious effort that now and then soon becomes everyday. We carry the extra weight of not making a conscious choice in our body, and it takes a toll on our health.  When we develop "good" habits, like exercise, its work at first.  After a while, it becomes easier, almost second nature and we benefit with better health.

Among other things, conscious spirituality is a habit I am trying to develop.  It is change but with a unique challenge.  I take time to write on this blog everyday and that is becoming a habit--a good habit for me.  The challenge is not to write the same thing, over and over again.  I have to keep looking and learning about spirituality, not just mine but others too.  Having a relationship with God is a process-- not a goal that can be reached and taken for granted.  I am attempting to form a habit of conscious choice.  This choice has to be made on a daily basis to become a good habit.   It sounds like a contradiction in terms but it is not.

I want to write here everyday.  I want it fresh.  I want it positive.  I want it to become a lifelong habit.

Think about your habits.  Are they good?  Are they bad?   How many times a day do you do things without thinking?  It is good to have the habit of a shower a day--but it is not so good if you drive the same way everyday to work and find out you are not paying attention to the road or the traffic.  Have you developed any habits that specifically include God?  Habits of prayer? a grateful heart? regular worship?  Do you ever stop and examine why you are doing something the same way over and over again?  Habits and change can be good or bad or even neutral.  It is important to be aware and conscious in your life and not just going through the motions.

Richard Bach wrote in the book,  Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah,  "You teach best what you most need to learn."   So hopefully, by making you aware of the challenge of change (and habits), I can be successful in the changes (and habits)  I want to see happen my life.