“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.” ~John Kenneth Galbraith

Changing anything other than your socks is hard to do.  Once your mind is set with a long-held belief, it requires growth, maturity, and a malleable openness to gravitate toward a new set of beliefs.  Change, like growth, is slow.  We have seen this winter how slowly seasons change!  And do we expect the buds of spring to blossom within a week of constant warmth and sun?  Well, yes, but we are prone to great hopes after a harsh snowy winter.

Have you ever changed your mind about someone from a negative stance to a positive?  What caused the change?  Acquired knowledge, perhaps, about the underpinnings of who they are?  We are all quick to judge.  This is a survival skill.  We must interpret quickly whether we are in danger or safe.  And once the decision is made, we are likely to hang on to that belief until we find out otherwise.

Maybe we can step back from judgment for a moment.  Think of someone whose behavior you disapprove of.  Now journey back in time and try to imagine what might have caused this person to become this way?  What kind of pain did they endure as a child?  Were they born mean or are they just having a bad day…or month…or year?  Is there room in your heart for understanding or have they just taken it too far?

Practice change in yourself.  We’ve probably tried at one time or another to change someone else to fit our model of “an acceptable human being.”  But, as the experts keep reminding us, we cannot change others, we can only change ourselves.

Let’s open our minds and hearts to other possibilities.   Try them on for size.  Toss out the ones that simply do not fit.  Try making adjustments for those which require more thought.  See where it takes you.  Stay malleable, open, and true to yourself, and you won’t get lost.  Your socks might, but not you.

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