Oh, The Comfort Of Those Blinders

Have you ever walked through life oblivious of your surroundings, such as arriving home from work not really remembering the drive, being so absorbed in your own head that you were on “autopilot”? While walking in the woods or enjoying nature from my back deck, which is really just the neighbors trees and the beauty of the sky, I can often become unaware of what’s occurring around me, until my senses are jarred. This is a common practice for those of us who meditate or practice mindfulness, being in the exact moment of time, void of the past and future.

In the change process of life, being oblivious to the effect of problems in life is referred to as pre-contemplation, or in a state of denial. When we are in this state, we often view the problems in our lives as not a problem. Being in this stage is feeling complacent in our current state or believing that we have no control over the behavior. Being in this state, we sometimes don’t understand how the problem is affecting our lives or we struggle seeing the consequences of our actions.

It is helpful if we begin to ask ourselves real questions to better understand the impact of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that lead to roadblocks in our lives. Listening to others and evaluating the reality of what they are saying can help open our spirits up to the questions we need to explore within ourselves to see the problem, desire the change, and embrace a new road in life.

We can ask ourselves if we’ve ever attempted to make changes in our lives to deal with the problem in our past. We can begin to explore ways to see the problem more clearly, to recognize it and to begin to explore avenues to improve our lives, making changes that will prompt positive consequences and diminish negative consequences. We can also ask ourselves what life would be like if this problem no longer existed.

Beginning a process of change can be both exciting and scary. The fear of the unknown and the complacency of the pain often keep us locked into our dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Taking a risk, being vulnerable and facing fear can move us from pre-contemplation to the next step in our change. Always remember, you are never alone, God always walks with you. Today, remove the blinders of denial and slowly and steadily walk towards the light of change.

(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

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