A lesson from years of riding motorcycles is momentum. You may want to turn. You may need to turn! However, no matter how much desire you might have or the quantity and urgency of pressure there is, one always remember that one is riding on something. Your ride wants to keep doing and going in a way that it has. Changing anything, especially speed or direction, takes work and time! Change means that you first have to deal with the momentum you have. Ignoring this reality is a perfect set-up for a bad crash, with a high probability that you will go over the high side of the bike.
In looking back, I can see changes in my life’s direction. In a few cases, I was aware of the choices I was making. In most situations the change was subtle. The greatest changes in my life for the better have come from this area. A quiet word from a trusted friend helped me consider a question in a way that I had been unable to before. The willingness to walk with me, if only for a time, sharing the journey and its ups and downs, open me up to a different path than I was on.
As I look at today with an eye of reflection, reminders that are with me include the following.
Trusted friends are priceless sources of wisdom, candor, and feedback. When one is open, asking and giving permission to hard truths, windows of change will come. Old stories can replay when they “saved them [me] from a life of oppression, pried them [me] loose from the grip of the enemy.” (Psalm 106.10)
One can run from, deny, or even ignore reality. However, if one wants change, one will start by embracing reality is all its beauty, horror, and rawness. It can be difficult and at times painful. Whatever one might think, starting with one’s foundation is the best way to build to build something greater.
One must say yes to change for change to have a chance. It is the first step.
