Change Is Inevitable (Even When You Do Everything in Your Power to Avoid It)

I like to think of this as stasis vs. progress.  Now change isn’t always progress – sometimes I make less-than-desirable decisions. However, when I’m stuck, motionless, doing the same thing over and over, I start to get this udgy feeling (made up word – kind of a combination of ugh and yucky).  There’s no way to describe it really, other than to say I feel stuck.  And as the “healthy” me recognizes it a bit of anxiety starts to build. And that anxiety continues to build unless I do something about it: CHANGE.

Face it. Change is not fun. I frankly think humans are truly creatures of habit and we get into that rut, that nice smooth line in the road where our tires have always been, and when you shift to the left or the right a bit, the ride just seems too rough to be worth it. We let our tires slip right back into that nice smooth rut. Of course, it is often well worth it.

I remember someone telling me a few years back some nonsense (read: smart but it annoyed me) about luck being when opportunity and preparedness are there at the same time. Apparently, the Chinese symbol for luck includes the symbols for opportunity and preparedness (don’t quote me on this, just heard it, and it sounded nifty).

There have been innumerable times in the past where opportunities presented themselves, but I wasn’t prepared.  Financially I was often not prepared.  I tended to be underpaid and overworked. And I tended to be a little irresponsible (a lot even at times) with the credit cards.

I can remember the day I thought: this is never going to change unless I change. I had to change my attitude toward work, money, and spending. I created a plan. It made me want to cry. It was going to be HARD.

Now 10 years later I am in a completely different place.  My plan worked and it not only solved the issue of preparedness when it comes to finances, it essentially changed my attitude toward “things” and “money” and all those touchy financial subjects.

It also taught me that when I start to feel anxious I better darn well look at why. If I can’t figure out why, I better talk to some people about it and work it out.  Because the anxiety doesn’t just go away. It expects change.