Many of us begin a new year eager for change. Maybe we want to patch up a relationship or lose weight, find a better job, go back to school. We might want to retire and move closer to the grandkids. But when we realize the cost and hard work it will take, fear can take hold. We might opt for security or familiarity instead.
Take, for example, moving for a job or career change. That involves finding a place to live, medical care, church, schools, supermarkets, etc. For some, that’s too much upheaval to face. We are creatures of comfort. But lack of change comes at the expense of growth and new experiences. Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, used to ask his customers what they wanted, and they would say to him, “Don’t change anything.”
Some people convince themselves that change is for others but not for them. Instead of moving down the path to a better place, they walk away quietly in the opposite direction. But the difference between where we are and where we want to be is created by the changes we are willing to make in our lives.
When author and pastor John Maxwell was a kid, one of his father’s favorite riddles went like this: Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump. How many are left? The first time John answered the riddle, he said, “One.” “No, responded his father. “Five. Why? Because there’s a difference between deciding and doing!”
The only way to embrace change is by starting. The longer we wait, the greater the odds that we will never actually do it. “Now is the time for change” is an old but true cliché. Are you willing to take the first step?
