How to Change Anything

 If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. –Maya Angelou

We stop growing when we stop believing that change is possible. When I was in my early twenties, I became frustrated with photography. The image that I saw in nature was not the image that came out on film. I considered putting down my camera, but then I realized how frequently I had stopped doing things if I wasn’t instantly skilled at them.

I decided to take photography classes and workshops, and I hired a private teacher. My teacher suggested that I go to the same location at the same time of day repeatedly to photograph. Though the idea seemed boring, I got up every weekend for months hours before dawn, drove thirty minutes to a nature preserve, hiked a granite mountain, chose my composition, waited for nautical twilight, and begin making photographs. I took copious notes and compared them to my slides. I began to see patterns of what was and was not working. As a result of this repetitive practice, I could see clearly what I needed to change, and my photography improved dramatically in a relatively brief time.

I have witnessed a similar pattern in my yoga and mindfulness practices. When I engage in a daily repetitive practice, I see the evidence that my body and mind can change and do what I previously thought impossible. When I first began practicing yoga, I felt that I could never do a headstand. Every time I tried going upside down, I felt disoriented and overwhelmed. Knowing full well how working through this fear in my body could impact my overall life, I began practicing headstands every day until it became a practice that opened me to joy instead of fear.

Believe that change is possible. This belief is at the foundation of a healthy relationship with yourself and with other people.

Choose one thing that you want to change but believe that you cannot. Try creating a plan for moving toward it, even if it means asking for guidance or support.

Warm wishes for your well-being,

Jen

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This post was originally published on June 3, 2014 and has been revised and updated.