Kestryl's Quiet Little Spot

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strain) - David Bowie

Lately I've taken some time to look at the changes in my life. In the past six months I have gone through some major changes in my life. All the changes have been good ones (in my own humble opinion at least) but no matter how good change is, change in it's own nature is difficult.

People do not like to change. Change is scary, change is unknown, change is...... change. Sometimes people will not change even the things that hurt them. We all know of examples; wives who go back to abusive husbands because they are more afraid of change than being hit again. People who stay in a job they despise because they are more afraid of what might happen if they leave their job. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Let me tell you.... change is good! Here are a few things that I've changed in my life lately, some are big changes, some small, but all good...

• I cleaned my office at work, and actually use it (before it was just storage for phones and junk).
• I stopped drinking a six-pack of soda a day... yes that's right a six-pack a day (at least, sometimes even more)
• I go to church on a weekly basis, and have made religion a very large and important part of my life. (Such a small statement for such a major life changing event!)
• I review, watch, and discipline my employees. (I spent too much time before worrying about being their friend and not enough time being their boss.
• I spend more time with my wife and kids, and less time playing video games. (I'm still a Toys'R'Us Kid)
• I talk to God, and more importantly I listen to him. (He was always talking.... I just wasn't listening)

Now as I said all of these are good things, but that is not to say it has all been easy. Moving away from Soda gave me headache and made me cranky. Disciplining my employees has created some hurt feelings, which is hard when I still do care about being their friend. Cleaning my office was difficult, and I had to get rid of a lot of junk that I might use someday (oh how easy to become a pack rat). Sometimes I miss spending an entire day playing games.

In all going to church and making religion a major part of my life has been the easiest. However along with that comes the talking to God and listening to him as well. You may be saying to yourself, what is so hard about that? Well the key to that is that God doesn't only tell you the things you want to hear. As I said before, he was always taking, I just wasn't listening. If you don't want to hear you can ignore him, or just dismiss what you are hearing. However, in my experience, once you really open yourself up to listening to God you can't help but hearing. You get to the point where you almost feel like saying "Enough already, I get the point!", but there is always more to hear.

My point is this.... While change is not always easy, it's better than no change. Some people have said this better than me, so I will quote them:

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
John F. Kennedy

We are not to expect to be translated from despotism to liberty in a featherbed.
Thomas Jefferson

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.
Pearl S Buck

The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.
Alfred North Whitehead

Change is good. In all the changes that I've made, I had some difficulty and struggles along the way, but in the end I come to a place that was better than where I started.

Change is not always easy, and may not always be what you want, but it's better than standing still and sinking into the mire of life.