Little Changes Lead To Big Changes

In an instant life can change.

Actually, every instant life changes, but sometimes the changes are huge.

I’ve had a lot of huge changes in my life as I’m sure you probably have too.

There are some things that are universally considered huge changes such as:

• birth
• adoption
• death
• weather disasters (tornado, hurricane, tsunami, fire, flood, etc.)
• marriage
• divorce
• health issues (disease, loss of body parts, loss of bodily functions, etc.)
• violence (murder, rape, assault, etc.)

Then there are the “other” changes. Have you ever noticed that what is a huge change to one person may be only a blip to someone else?

Let me give you a few examples of things that may be huge changes for one person, but not for another:

• You learn how to cook.
• You overcome a nasty anger problem.
• You stop biting your fingernails.
• You learn to throw a curve ball in baseball.
• You overcome being impatient.
• You stop interrupting other people during conversations.

Obviously, there is a difference between the universally huge changes and the personal changes even though personal changes can and often do feel huge.

Whether a change is universal, personal, large or small, it is still a change. Change often brings about a new realization and if we let go of anger, bitterness, shame, guilt, and all those other negative emotions, we can and will gain a deeper sense of gratitude for life.

“All good work is done the way ants do things, little by little.”
~ Lafcadio Hearn ~

Only Two Steps To Making A Change

Change in your thoughts and actions all start the same way…

You DECIDE to change. That’s step 1! It’s all in your head!

What we call little changes are merely the causes of great changes. Little changes are the beginning – the embryo. The little change is the point of departure of one way of thinking, living or being and the beginning of a new way of thinking, living or being. In essence, the little changes decide the whole future of a person’s existence.

One single action may be the beginning of the most wonderful event that will happen in your life. Not making that change may mean that you never get to have that most wonderful moment.

My point is that you don’t want to miss out on a fantastic life filled with glorious moments all because you are too scared or too stubborn to make changes. Just DECIDE to change! Be willing!

So now the second step. Once you take the leap and DECIDE to change, step 2 is to MAKE the change! Put some elbow grease in the equation and act on what you decided.

“The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that progress is made one step at a time. A house is built one brick at a time. Football games are won a play at a time. A department store grows bigger one customer at a time. Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishments.”
~ Dr. David Schwartz ~

Obviously, you don’t have to accomplish this change all at once. You just have to make the first effort towards the change and we all know that the first action is the hardest. Once you do SOMETHING to put you on the path of change, it is easier to continue it.

Think about how hard it is to get the nut loose on a tire when it goes flat. Those first attempts at loosening it are very hard, but once the nut gets just a tiny bit loose, it gets easier and easier. The same concept is true with change. The initial effort is the hardest and the next couple may be rough, but eventually you pick up some momentum and reap the rewards of the change that is occurring.

I’m not the absolute best that I can be and venture to say that you could probably use a little improvement too. Don’t let CHANGE overwhelm you.

“If you add a little to a little and do this often, soon the little will become great.”
~ Hesiod ~

Exactly! It’s the snowball effect. You start rolling the snowball and it is just a tiny thing in your hands, but eventually as you keep rolling it the snowball gets bigger and bigger and bigger! Change is the same way!

So…change does not have to be an overwhelming event. What’s that saying? You can’t eat an elephant in one bite, but you can eat an elephant one bite at a time. I don’t really want to eat an elephant, but I do know that it is not impossible to make a change even if you are the only one that believes it can happen.

Think about what happened to me and how I conquered the Hell one second at a time. It was possible and I KNEW it was possible if I didn’t give up. I believed and decided (step 1) to conquer PTSD. Then I made the effort to make the changes necessary (step 2). So today I’m mentally, physically and emotionally healthy because I CHANGED.

Did you catch that?

“I” did what?

“Changed”

So what does it take for you to have different circumstances?

You change!

Awesome!

One more question.

How do you change?

You DECIDE to make the change and then you DO IT!

Don’t get stuck in comfortable miserableness. Great things are waiting for you!