Changes

No, not the old Yes song - that's entirely too depressing. I'm talking about making changes in your own life. Hey, life's all about change, right? It all depends on whether we embrace change or hide from it.

I admit it, I'm not a huge one for change. I like things how I like them, and that's that. To use one of my husband's euphemism's, I like to know where my water dish is at. (If you've ever had a pet, you know they don't like it when you move their dishes.) I guess it has to do with my past more than anything - with some major help from my mother.

The first eighteen years of my life were pretty unchanging. We lived in the same house, I went to the same school, I knew all the same people. Hell, I even had the same dog for a majority of that time. Looking at that, it's easy to see why change and I don't get along. If you add in all the change that's occurred since I turned 18, you see another set of reasons why I might not be so open to it.

College is change. Becoming a single mother was a major life change. And then there was my car accident - which changed things in ways I never would've imagined (even now, I'm seeing the long-term results of that sucker). I've been through relationship changes and residence changes too numerous to mention. Now I can feel myself just wanting for everything to remain the same.

I don't want change in my life anymore. I'm content just staying in my little hermitage and allowing life to move on around me.

But life doesn't work that way. Change is a necessary part of existence. You either change or you stagnate. If I had opted against change five years ago, I'd still be living in Utah - single and unhappy. I'd be working an unsatisfying job and dreaming of being a writer instead of actually writing.

There's an old quote I was reminded of yesterday: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. I think it came to mind after reading Dr. Hurd's Daily Dose of Reason - specifically Sunday's post called The Road to Insanity and Back - wherein he reminds readers of another quote: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while still expecting different results." Or maybe it came to mind after reading Kristen Painter's post yesterday at The Fictionistas called The Power of Change. Maybe it's just that change seems to be in the air. It is Spring after all.

Anyway, I think I see the point. I've been falling into my old habits, and refusing to accept the necessary changes life demands. I made the decision last night to try and break free. I need to make some changes, even if they're small ones.

Starting with getting into the habit of exercising. While I've been sitting on my ever-widening butt avoiding change, my body has been slowly changing on its own. You know you need a change when none of your pants fit. (Except for sweat pants, and... well... yuck, who wants to wear those in public.)

I also recognized that I need to change my approach to this writing career. I need to take myself and my writing more seriously, or no one else is going to. I need to make a schedule and stick to it - no matter what might be on TV or whether I feel like it.

How's your relationship with change? Is it something you like, or something you look forward to like a root canal? Think about your own situation. Is there some change you need to make to enhance your life?