I believe in shifts. A shift is when we can say that it used to be like this and now it’s like that. We used to be one way, but now we are a different way. Shifts are great in the personal development arena. Shifts mean that big changes can happen quickly.
There is another model, a kind of belief, that is in contradiction to the idea of shifts. This other model holds that change is hard,. It takes a long time and, in fact, may never even happen. On our way into church on Sunday, we struck up a conversation with another Christian. He made a comment I found really interesting: “God works on us SLOWLY.” Slow change is not a shift and I believe that sometimes God creates shifts in us, too.
The problem with assuming that change is by it’s nature slow is that it precludes a shift as a possibility. It’s like it can’t even happen because we don’t believe it can. So it’s important to hold shifts as a possibility and, maybe even a probability. That way we don’t cut off a shift from happening because we didn’t believe it could happen.
As an example, I was hoping for a shift in how I choose to eat. I immersed myself in food-related documentaries that promote a plant-based whole foods diet. I chose to stop eating meat and dairy for health reasons. Three weeks later I gave up fish and eggs too, pretty much embracing a vegan diet. Suddenly, the idea of eating meat repulsed me. Now I don’t even want to eat animal-based foods. For me it’s really cool because it was a kind of shift I was hoping for. However, if I had been telling myself that changing my food preferences is hard and takes a long time, it probably wouldn’t have happened as quickly and as easily as it did.
I’m always reminding myself that shifts are possible. I encourage you to think the same way for yourself. Whether you’re wanting to change your dietary preferences, heal a hurt, clarify your life’s purpose or change a close relationship, remember that shifts happen. Hold this possibility for yourself, and it is more likely to happen that way for you, too.
