Who me? Change? No way!

At this point in my education at the University of Earth, I’m pretty well convinced that our ability to experience and enjoy life hinges on the type of mental programming that we’ve each managed to accomplish over the past several years. The kinds of information that we’ve crammed into our subconscious and now perceive as “facts”. The information that leads us to think and believe – and act - as we do today.

Yeah, I know. There’s that danged “programming” thing again. But honestly, I can’t think of a better word to describe how our lifetime accumulation of input and experiences has set our ways of thinking and how we view the events of our lives and the world around us. And because every one of us has had different inputs and experiences, it helps to clarify why we all think and believe – and act – differently.

Most of us who have done any research at all in the area of self improvement or self-help can easily see that the materials – web sites, books, videos, audio tapes – that are available on the subject simply contain information to help us think about things we might want to do a bit differently. Even though there are a bunch of different approaches to this out there, they all still boil down to helping us modify our thought patterns and beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. It’s actually a very simple concept.

Some of this information has been available for hundreds (OK, thousands if you wish) of years. So why are there so many folks in this world that still don’t “get it”? Why are there so many people who still continue to trudge down their uncomfortable and sometimes self-destructive paths to a mediocre (and frequently really yucky) end?

It looks to me like there are only a few basic reasons for this. The first one obviously, is that in spite of the improvements in communications methods and technology over the past several years, a whole pile of folks just flat haven’t gotten the word. And this doesn’t just apply to Third World countries. Even within the more advanced societies, there are thousands and thousands of people who for one reason or another, have never been exposed to any of the concepts of self improvement. They honestly don’t know that there is a wealth of information available to them that can help improve their lives dramatically.

There is another extremely large group of folks who are just “stuck”. This is the “Who Me? No Way!” group. Because of the things they’ve learned and experienced throughout their lives (sounds a little like the “programming” thing again, doesn’t it?) they just can’t bring themselves to take that one little side-step that would get them out of the rut they’ve chosen as a path to their future.

It may be that some of these individuals are having a difficult time recognizing reality – really clearly seeing their situation from an “outside” perspective. They’re reasonably happy and show up for life day after day to do those things they think they should be doing. When asked how things are going, they reply, “It’s OK” – or “Not too bad”. When asked if there’s anything they would like to change about their lives, the answer will likely be, “Nah, we’re doing alright.” They are surviving. They have accepted what they have in life as “OK” and because of their level of acceptance are unwilling to explore any additional possibilities.

Other folks are really afraid to try to make changes in their lives. They may not even be all that comfortable within their present situation. To them however, the fear of the unknown – of the monsters lurking just around the corner – is greater than their current discomfort and they are therefore unwilling to pursue any path that might lead to a change in their lifestyle. Even the fear of a change prompted by a potential significant success is enough to apply their mental brakes. Pity… A few are even likely to be unwilling to “risk” a change because doing so could result in a modification in their self-perceived identity. They are fearful of the new person they might become.

Then there are those who have not yet learned to assume responsibility for their own thoughts and actions. They have been placed (in their minds, anyway) in their present position in life entirely through the actions of others and through a series of events which were “always” completely beyond their control. They are life’s victims. Until the rest of the world shapes up and stops “interfering in their lives”, nothing will ever get better. Looks like their future is pretty well set, doesn’t it? Too bad.

Some people, even in really uncomfortable situations, have become completely resigned to their lot in life. They honestly believe that “this is as good as it gets”. They think that no matter what they do, there is no way for them to progress beyond their current level of existence. Some of them believe, even as they live in uncomfortable situations, that this is just the way it’s supposed to be. They trudge along with the remote hope that maybe somehow, in some way later on down the road things will be a little better. Maybe…

So what can we do about it? What can we do to help the others who are living less than really enjoyable lives? (After all, that’s likely one of the foundation reasons for our existence on this old planet, isn’t it? To help others…?) The answer is simple. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re reading this aren’t you? And thinking about your level of development and just where you might fit into the picture? You are probably taking steps toward your goals of self-understanding. You are at least thinking about things you could do to improve your present situation and life-style. So, just keep doing it.

Then - be a positive example to the people with whom you come in contact – your family (especially the children), friends, co-workers, neighbors. Help them to see how you are able to live positively and progressively within your sociological environment. (Translate this to mean that you don’t need to be “important” or “rich” to have a wonderful, positive influence on those around you.) And by all means, be willing to share some of your thoughts and “secrets” to happiness with anyone who will listen. They may not buy into it and some of them will think you’re just plain weird. But then again, there’s always the possibility that some of them – sometime, in some way – will pick up on one or two of the things you’ve said or done that will lead them to a better path and a more enjoyable way of life. It’s a nice thought, don’t you think?