Change Is Hard, I Should Know

I am signed up to receive emails every week from a website called Meditations For Women which was founded by Jane Powell in 2002.  I have been receiving these meditations for a few years now; I truly find them all inspiring, and often relevant to me as an ongoing reminder or just at the time that I read them.  I wanted to share one meditation that seemed to speak directly to me and my current situation:

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The Only Way to Lasting Results

by JANE POWELL on JUNE 13, 2011

“Change is expensive.”

No matter what you want in life, you must give up something to get it. It’s a universal law and it works like this. The greater the value of what you want the greater sacrifice you will have to make.

The truth is, that it is hard and continuous dedication that brings lasting results. There are no short cuts, easy streets or detours.

Expect to pay a price if you want to make your life better. But, more importantly, also expect to pay a price for just leaving things as they are.

©Jane Powell — Meditations for Women

Today’s Affirmation: My hard and continuous action brings lasting results.
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Yes, change is expensive in many ways... monetarily, emotionally.

The pursuit of change can be extremely overwhelming.  In my case, there was no clear way to go about it for a long time.  I was becoming increasingly unhappy with where I was in life, both career wise and where I was physically living over the past five years.  I knew things needed to change, but I just didn't know how.  What to do, where to go, how to get there?  There was no one to help me out (besides Jason, of course) and not enough money to just up and leave.  Plus, how could we just quit our jobs and move?  That was just a foolish thought.  I was getting too stressed.  Stressed from work, stressed about money, stressed from a lack of things to do (entertainment), and stressing about how in the world to change it all.

And then, something happened.  Something that, at first, was devastating.  Jason lost his job.  The store he was managing closed, which was bad enough, but the last day happened to fall on a day that I was out of town for a business conference.  Jason was emotionally and physically worn and I wasn't there to be with him during a really hard time.  It was not a good start to an even more stressful time for us.  We were down to one income, which while sufficient enough to sustain our monthly bills, was not conducive to paying bills and saving money.  As the months passed, the checking account kept losing money here and there... very scary.  Then, I had an epiphany.  I told Jason this might be our chance... go to Texas and job hunt!  His family lives there and were able to have him stay with them while he looked.  He was a little resistant at first, but knew it was the best, if not only, way for us to get out and move on.

So he traveled to Texas to job hunt, and here we are.  What appeared to be another nail in the coffin actually turned into our saving grace.  It has taught me that when a door closes opportunity just may come knocking.  And, thank you Jane for reminding me that hard and continuous action will bring lasting results... I am going to keep this meditation close by and read it often.  If I keep pushing myself to achieve the goals I have set for myself I can do it, I can get that life I have been dreaming about for so long.

— E