The Truth

Unlike many people, I read. Usually, I do not read books for enjoyment but I read to learn so I usually read non-fiction.  There are literally millions of good books, but because I am a slow reader, I devote my time to reading books on topics that interest me and that will increase my knowledge. I have read many of the "classics" and enjoyed reading CS Lewis' - Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkien - Lord of the Ring, and several of Michener's books including Hawaii and the Source.  

In 1972, while attending college I took a class on short stories.  I did not take this class because I liked short stories, but because I had to get an English credit.  The write up for the class seemed easier than other options so I took the class. During the class we discussed a short story titled, "Circus in the Attic".  The main character of the story seemed to hold many beliefs which most of us could see were based on fact or truth.  The Professor said something about this person that I have remembered and used many times since. 

"People believe truth they have to believe to go on being the way they are."

What he meant by this statement was that people will pick and choose small bits and pieces of things to try to justify the way they live.  Put another way, my wife Ruth says, "The head can justify anything the heart desires" or as the Bible says, As a man believes in his heart, so he is (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). Most of us have no trouble finding ways to justify our behavior.  Many of us are comfortable justifying our behavior than changing it.

People get so caught up in this type of thinking that when they are challenged to change they say, "I can't change".  Change involves making a decision to take a different road or course of action.  Since all of us can are forced to make millions of decisions each day (what to eat, where to go, etc.), when someone says I can't change what they are really saying is I won't change.  It is really a choice.  They can choose to change or choose to not change.  But either way they are making a choice. 

Coaching helps people identify what factors they perceive are keeping them from changing.  Helping people realize they can change is the first step in the process of making change. Change can be hard. But everyone can change, if they choose to. 

Have you arrived at a place that you need to make a change?