Be the Change

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.  – Gandhi

I have always loved that quote.  I don’t even care who said it…I know it’s true.  The best part about it is that if you change the last word it is just as true…and maybe hits closer to home. 

Try this: You must be the change you wish to see in the school. (Am I showing my kids how to love learning by being excited about the new things I am learning?  Do I demonstrate how to dig into something challenging and not give up?)

You must be the change you wish to see in the relationship. (Am I expecting someone else to change in order to get along? Am I sharing the love I wish to receive?  Am I forgiving quickly?)  

You must be the change you wish to see in the home. (Ah…this is where the rubber hits the road for me right now.  What is happening in my home that I don’t like?  Am I being the change?)   You must be the change you wish to see. (period)

My own attitude, temper, facial expressions, you name it IS the state of our home.  Imagine the environment if my own thoughts are focused on negative things.  That translates into a whole bunch of unhappiness.

Here are some things I want to be the change around and some people who have ideas to help…

Organization. I want everyone in my house to be organized. That translates into: I need to be organized. Sometimes I’m doing better than others.  For years my dear, dear friend Dawn has been my organization mentor.  She has helped me change some bad habits and has helped me let go of a lot of stuff.  It’s been great.  She should have been paid a lot.  Problem for me is, I moved away.  I can’t call on her to come sit with me and make me clean out a closet anymore.  What to do?  Though there is nobody like Dawn, here is someone with some great ideas and I love the name of her blog : the lazy organizer

Healthy Choices. I want everyone to be making healthy choices for their bodies.  Which means…I have to stop the two o’clock chocolate fix. Who am I kidding?  My kids KNOW if I am eating chocolate at two.   What kind of example am I if I sneak around eating “red light foods” in the middle of the day?  Yeah, I need to change that one pronto.  I happened across a few ideas on what to do with ten minutes…instead of rummage the cupboard for stray chocolate chips at live bold and bloom. And exercise. If I do it, I’m happy.  And I don’t need the two o’clock fix quite as intensely. My children see the importance of keeping their bodies healthy when I keep mine healthy. There is also the added bonus that I may be able to avoid complete embarrassment come summer at the pool.  It really can be as easy as running out the front door for an early morning walk or run.  Or on the next library trip checking out a pilates dvd.

Service. I want my children to see ways to be of service to others without being asked. So many people have been great examples of service to me, like my neighbor who spent too much of Saturday helping us out with car trouble. I think we create goodness in this world when we take a few minutes to think about someone else and what they really need. We can serve in our homes: clean the car out for hubby,  take out the trash if he normally does,  make the bed,  pull our neighbors garbage can in for them,  do a chore for a kid when they aren’t expecting it,  pull some weeds for an elderly neighbor.  I guess it’s just taking the time to look around and see where there are needs and what you can do that is kind and unexpected.

Peace. I want more peace in my home.  Not the quite kind, necessarily, though it is always welcome.  I want that inner peace of things being right in the world. I want to be a better peacemaker in my home.  Peace in the world won’t come as long as there isn’t peace in the hearts of people.  For me, that means I need to take time in the morning to pray, connect with God, read scriptures and feel gratitude for all I have been blessed with.  And then when I feel at the end of my rope ( most likely after two when I haven’t had chocolate or a nap ), remember those moments and bring that feeling of peace into all the craziness.  I am also taking on re-reading some of the Arbinger Institute books with a study group. 

Are you trying to be the change in something?  How are you doing it?

You can visit more mom’s taking on the 30 minute blog challenge at steady mom.