Time for A Change

One day as I was driving to work, I recall taking in my surroundings, as usual. On this day, I noted that I wanted to see some different scenery. The next day, I proceeded to take the same exact route that I always took. In hindsight, that behavior makes me chuckle because it’s a classic example of how many of us live our lives. Each day, I noted that I was tired of seeing the “as usual” and I wanted something different. But I never did anything different. 

Perhaps it’s more relatable in terms of food. Say, every day you ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You get home, you’re tired. You can make something else but this is quick and easy. No offense if you do. I’m a fan myself of an occasional PB&J. But, as a for instance, say you eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even though you have some other options. Even as you stand at your kitchen counter making yet another PB&J, you’re telling yourself you want to eat something different. You have a taste for something different. Yet, you never make  anything different. You keep right on making that PB&J sandwich even while staring at a package of ramen!

A conversation that I regularly have among my peers centers on this topic. There are some people in the workforce who fall into this same trap of complacency. They’ve gotten very comfortable complaining. So much so that they don’t want to contribute to a solution. For my problem, the solution was simple. Take a different route to work. For the other scenario, there may have been some other variables to consider, but a change wasn’t impossible. Now that we are comfortable and complacent, it’s easier to generate reasons against a change than it is to embrace it.

The story I shared with you about myself is a vital lesson on self awareness. I recognized that I desired a change, but I failed to do anything about it. People find themselves in a similar quandary when it comes to faith and spirituality. Maybe they feel that something is missing or that their relationship with God isn’t what it used to be. In a prior post, I referenced a close friend being in that type of situation. She recognized that something felt lacking in her relationship with God compared to how things used to be. 

Even thinking of my own experience brings that to the surface. I recall praying about something in terms of a change in my spiritual walk. What I had to recognize, as did my friend mentioned above, was that I reverted back to a comfortable position. Yet, I was expecting to see something different. So, it was a bit like my commute to work experience. The change was there, but I had to embrace it. Many of us are in that kind of situation. What is the comfort, the complacency that’s propelling you backward or preventing you from moving forward? I hear folks talk about church “as usual” at times. But what if you are the change agent? Instead of complaining about all the things that don’t seem right or up to par, be a part of the solution.

Stay Sunny!

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