What Used to Be...

​Carson had been trying to learn to ride his bike for a solid year without success. He was terrified. And the more he fell, the more terrified he became. He got to where he would give up quickly out of frustration, but he really wanted to learn, so he never gave up.
 
One day we took the family camping and brought our bikes along. He once again gathered the courage to try his bike so I strapped on his helmet and protective knee, elbow and wrist pads and Ken took him to the top of the gentle hill where we were camped. Our hoots and hollers could be heard throughout the camp when he was able to keep his balance and pedal his way all the way to the bottom of the hill! We were so happy for him!
 
As he rode past me for another attempt, he turned to me and said, “Mom, do you know how I knew that today would be the day I could finally ride by bike? I heard the winds of change!

Change. We want it. We fear it. We vote for it. We avoid it. So how do we make it actually happen?

Often, we find ourselves walking down a path that we really don’t want to go, but somehow we don’t seem to be able to stop ourselves. We overreact to a negative comment by a spouse or coworker; we procrastinate a project; we ignore our bodies when they tell us they are full; we avoid the conversations that could heal hearts. There are hundreds of entrances to this well-worn path, and we feel drawn to walk down it for the thousandth time, despite the fact that it leads to only one destination…misery.

Paths are created when we choose to take the same route to a given destination, over and over again. The more we walk the path, the easier it is. The grass and weeds give up their fight, the ground becomes hardened as it packs down beneath our feet, and it becomes ever so much easier to find.

The interesting thing about paths is that they are also easily destroyed. The best way to destroy a path is to leave it alone. This can be terribly hard to do. We like paths that feel familiar and safe to us, even if we aren’t that thrilled with their destination. To choose a new path can feel scary. The brush can be prickly and intimidating, the way may be strewn with numerous chances to stumble, and the destination may not be guaranteed. But one thing is certain: if we do not want to end up in the same destination, we must be committed to choosing a new path.
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The good news is that every time we choose to ignore the siren song of the old pathway, we give Mother Nature another day to take it back for herself. The grass and weeds begin to claim their old territory, and after some time, we will scarce be able to recognize it as what once was our favorite place to stroll. As our new path becomes more familiar and comfortable to travel, we will pass by those old pathways with nary a glance, as nature will have mercifully turned it into nothing more than a story of what used to be. 

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