Change - 2024 01 07

 

It can happen at any age. We need to make a change. The pressure of our current situation reaches a tipping point, where the uncertainty of change becomes more palatable than the certainty of remaining stuck, still, unmoving. Change entails movement. Movement from certainty puts us into a state of uncertainty. Our need to initiate change can happen at any point in our lifespan, from pre-verbal to frail elder.

In order to activate change to improve our current circumstances or conditions, we need to activate our internal capacity and capability to implement and sustain change. Our internal capacity and capability to identify issues, define needs, adopt new perspectives, practice new behaviours and implement new boundaries requires inputs from outside our field of perception. We cannot change what we do not understand, we cannot put into words, and we cannot discuss with supportive people to help us find a new way of being in our current situation. We benefit from hearing others' experience, strength and hope. We find common concerns, we try new things, and we debrief to figure out what works, what does not work, and what can be our next step. We develop and improve our internal capacity and capability to implement and sustain change by developing relationships that support our needs to make a positive change in our lives.

Small changes over time aggregate to significant change in our lives. We don't need to know exactly how our changes are going to realized, or how they are going to turn out. We just need to take our next right step toward self-care, self-respect, dignity, courage, toward building strength in ourselves, our families, our communities, and thus, humanity writ large. Small changes happen on a day to day basis. They are made up of our capacity and capability to discern our next right step.

At any age, we can take a step toward making positive changes.