Is it Hard or Simple to change?

Changing is both extremely hard and absurdly simple.

What does that mean?
In principle, the younger a person is the simpler and faster it is to accept and adopt changes, however, the older one gets, the tougher it is to welcome new habits or to get rid of old ones.

But does it mean that, if I am older, I won’t be able to modify my life?
Well, even though that generally applies to most people, it is not a fixed statement that cannot be nullified, or modified, by anyone.

Alright then, in this case, regardless of my age, what if I want to change anything in my life, what can I do overcome the apparent hardships of changing?
To begin with, it is important to highlight that here I am talking about individual, self-centered, cognitive changes, and not about changing other people’s behavior, or political systems, or environmental structures, and so on and so forth, ok.

Now that we know what we are conversing about, the second point is to acknowledge that, as far as cognition is concerned, changes take place right here and right now, that is to say, if you envision a modification in your life, this is a sight to be projected, to be observed and to be internalized so that it starts serving and a guiding point to any thought, any word and any action that you undertake from now on.

However, remember that this is the absurdly simple part of changing, that is to say, the possibility of foreseeing a new horizon in your existence or of seeing life from another perspective.

Now, despite this easy part, it is crucial to be mindful that the hardest part comes after the cognitive decision, which is the implementation of changes in one’s life, in other words, the almost herculean challenge of overcoming all those years of almost mechanical repetition of beliefs, behaviors and actions.

But why is it so hard?
Predominantly because the more we do anything, the more it becomes so intimately connected to us, and so much so, that we start believing that we are it, that this is what life is all about, that this is what defines us.

For example, if we hold a notion for a length of time that we are a good-for-nothing, worthless individual, or, on the other hand, that we are a go-getter and a prosperous person, any of those impressions become so impregnated in our views of life, that we even become resistant to seeing life from a new frame of reference, and this well- groomed rigid mindset is the grueling one to overcome, and the main obstacle to any change that we want to implement in our lives.

But then, how do I do it?
Well, there is no other way than the constant repetition, repetition, and repetition of the new awareness by all possible means, that is to say, mentally by constant reminding oneself of what one wants to be, verbally, by being vocal about it so that others also can help us out in the process and, physically, by acting in accordance with the new lifestyle.

And how long will that take to fully implement it?
Well, as said before, cognitively, it takes place exactly when you commit yourself to it, which can be right here and right now, but the time to fully see the observable changes that are untainted by the old habits usually is directly proportional to the length of time that you hold on to the old belief as to be an absolute part of you.

Regardless of that, if you convince yourself about the benefits of the new lifestyle, you will gain the unflinching will, the strong courage and the necessary drive to completely reorient your life at any given point, which is your own choice.

In other words, be the captain of your own destiny so that you can live a meaningful and inspiring existence, which is the sole purpose of life.

How to cite this Thought:
Cargnin dos Santos, Tadany. Is it Hard or Simple to change?