Outlook for 2012; Taking the Hard Road

Well, better late than never as they say. It's hard to believe that it's already the last day of the first month of 2012. I planned on writing things that could change the world, or at least could make a small difference in someone's or my own life, or at the very least get something written everyday, but apparently, that hasn't been the case. Time just keeps slipping away faster than I can keep up, and with the major changes and upheavals that happened in 2011 it's just not been that easy. Sometimes the task just seems to daunting and I give up before I've even begun.
Taking a quote from a (first published in 1978) book by M. Scott Peck I think everyone should read at least once, The Road Less Traveled says,

"It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually."

I think everyone has noticed big changes not only in our personal lives, but in our world at large with enormous environmental and political issues, governments fighting, revolutions, wars, economic catastrophes, all kinds of troubles have caused major vibrations felt across the globe reaching every one of us in some way or another.

So many of our friends and families are finding their lives turned upside down, with situations unplanned for, or the last things we ever thought would happen to us occurring one after the other causing all kinds of chaos and confusion. It brings to mind Buddha's teachings of the Four Noble Truths: There is suffering. There is a cause to suffering. There is an end to suffering. There is a path out of suffering.
He just might have had something there.

So many of us are afraid of suffering and change mostly because confronting change or what we consider problems is painful, which (as Mr. Peck suggests) evokes everything from frustration, grief, loneliness, regret, fear, anxiety, and even despair. It takes courage and wisdom to grow mentally and spiritually along with a slew of other things he speaks of.

We can look at change in one of three ways: 1. As a good thing. 2. As a bad thing. Or 3. Something to sweep under the rug and ignore completely.

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect on what has come before us, assess our situations, and make adjustments to better our lives. A common practice is to make resolutions such as losing weight, or stop smoking cigarettes, improve our careers or relationships, or vow to be better than we were previously. And more often than not, we start out with a bang for the first few weeks (or days), and fall back into our comfortable routines without really changing anything because that's just what we're used to, and sometimes the task just seems too big.

In order for our plans to work, not only do we need to make small changes and stick to them, but follow up with a disciplined belief in those goals; that they will work. Incorporate little changes into our lives, like switching to a healthy breakfast instead of the sprinkled doughnut and latte, putting off that first cigarette for as long as possible, or writing a letter to the family member you haven't spoken to in ages. Even searching for ways to broaden your chosen career, or finally checking out the local community college for those classes you've always wanted to take to learn something completely new, or just freshen up on your skills.
Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith for a change to make a difference, but most times it's the little things that can make the most impact. If we believe it, we can achieve it. It wouldn't be said all the time if it weren't true.

Our beliefs and how we perceive the world are 99 percent of how things usually turn out. We can use those crazy, chaotic circumstances to turn things around. If we take a good look at our situations and instead of thinking that "this is the worst thing that could happen to me, and I just can't deal with it", give up and wallow in our misery, than that's exactly what we'll get, we can take it as a gift. The perfect time to change our attitudes and start over with a clean slate. Begin again with the belief that we really can do anything we set our minds and hearts to, creating the life we've always wanted, or at least giving ourselves the chance to make our lives better than they were previously.

We are the only ones who can make our goals attainable by acting on them. We can't expect others to do it for us, and blaming the world for our problems only exacerbates the issues. Granted, we do need help sometimes, and it's perfectly okay to ask for it. We are the ones who have made the choices that have put us in the places we are today.

We always have options, even when none seem apparent. And most times, it's the hardest choices that can make the most difference. The easy road is one most of us take to avoid pain and suffering, but only through this can we grow. And we already know where the easy road will lead us....on the same path we've been all along. Let's take a chance on the hard road for once, and see what kind of a beautiful life we can make for ourselves and our loved ones. Think big by starting small. We really can change the world with little steps.


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