Change, Chance or Be Chained

By: Nancy Abiera

 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“We are creatures of habit more than we are creatures of change.” — A.J. Darkholme.

 

There is time for everything and every time there is a switch, which means change. This is true just like the scripture verses in Ecclesiastes 3. We can choose to change, leave things by chance and go with the flow or be chained in bondage and stay stagnant. I define CHANGE as

Creativity Honoring Affirming/Acknowledging New Open Opportiunities For Gates of Excellence.

Note that change may either lead to something good or bad or both and even neutral. Most people are resistant to change for fear of losing control, fear of the unknown or fear of failure; mistrust, etc. just to name a few. However, let’s be realistic. Each moment of the day there are changes happening whether we like it or not. Our responses are: fight, flight or freeze by responding in denial, deception or destruction. These are not the best as we leave things by chance and worst, may make us be in bondage or chained.

On a brighter side, I encourage listeners to respond differently. How? Choose to break old destructive patterns and make new creative ones. Yes, we can break these patterns of automatic negative reactions. Instead, let’s make change be an ABC – Acquaintance (Possible friend), Buddy (Good Friend) or Companion (Best friend). As we open our mind to change, it gives us new and even greater opportunities that may even surprise us. We have choices how we face change either with apathy/fear or with courage/ faith. Be mindful, change can open doors to opportunities like growth/transformation.

I love living in Chicago because of the changing season yet I hate extreme winter. This “love and hate” with the changing seasons made me realize I do not have the power to change it. However, I can change my perception/ response. Since I have no plans to move out of Chicago, I learned to acquaint/adapt myself to situation. I managed my issues by changing my mind intentionally by choice while my feelings flowed together with it. Thus the will (choice) to change became easier. Slowly but surely, I learned to change using ABC and realized that change can be my BFF. Best Friend Forever.

No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations. Wayne Gretzky.

For the truth be told: God is God and I am not God. However, I am a child of God. My ultimate response is not to take chance wishing or be in chained to negativity but rather to submit my mind, will and emotions to God in prayer.

The Serenity Prayer is one of my favorites. Let us pray: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world As it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right If I surrender to His Will; So that I may be reasonably happy in this life And supremely happy with Him Forever and ever in the next.” Amen.

Always choose “On A Bright Side” moving further and farther “On A Brightest Side”. I love you readers with the love of the Lord yet the Lord loves you the most. You are blessed. Smile and be a blessing!