People will ONLY Change when THEY are Truly Ready

This is a complex rabbit whole statement without question:

People will ONLY change when THEY are truly ready.

We can approach this statement from SO many angles!! (But this is a 'Zen Quickie' so I'll be careful!) 🤣

Recently someone close to me mentioned they were implementing a small habit to take care of themselves. They expressed how in the first week they felt a positive change in their body! 👏

• This was something that (I was) trying to help them with in the past year or two (because of not only what I do for a living, but because I care for this person)

• This was something that was causing alot of stress for me (the person who cares about them) because they "weren't listening to any suggestions" and they were "regularly complaining about things, without doing anything to help themselves".

As stressful, frustrating and annoying as this can be (for both sides), we have to remember that IT'S NOT ABOUT US (or me in this example) - It's about THEM (that individual). And until THEY are READY and WILLING to do something, no amount of "advice" (helpful or not) or good intentions will do anything for them.

I always used to use the example of a smoker:

-EVERYONE knows (I would assume) that smoking is NOT healthy

-A smoker either DOES NOT WANT to quit or they DO but are having a hard time.

Either way, THEY will stop when THEY are READY. Not us.

Today, I can relate examples in various aspects of health other than smoking. But we ALL need that little reminder sometimes that no matter how small something may seem to us or how "easy" it may seem to us - it may NOT be for someone else. OR even if it is a simple task, they maybe just aren't TRULY ready to take action... YET.

What we CAN do to both manage our stress in this type of scenario AND to "indirectly" help the person we care about, is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE. If they "aren't listening" and/or "continue to complain without action", be the example for them (but without throwing it at them). Just as our children do, that person will SEE what you're doing for your health and wellbeing, they'll SEE your mood and positive energy... and EVENTUALLY, on THEIR OWN TIMELINE they will begin to take action.

... And if they don't - You've still bettered your on health in the process. 😀

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This post is a "Zen Quickie" which our posts that create thought and conversations surrounding our deep health, in a shorter format for our readers. We have over 150 blogs here on the Zen Blog, many in longer format if you want to dive a bit deeper into thoughts as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read!