What's New
     by Ralph Carpio

Let’s say you have a problem or a situation. The roof leaks or you find an error on a credit card bill. So you take care of it: You call a plumber and it’s fixed; You contact the credit card company and everything is squared. It is resolved and taken care of with minimal effort.

But now let’s say you’re dealing with something more serious. A chronic problem or situation that you’ve been wrestling with for a long time.

The first thing I would say to you is "What’s new?"

Your reply may be an accounting of all the details of the matter at hand. You may start complaining that things have just gotten worse as time goes on. So I would then rephrase the question "What’s new?" to "What’s new in you?" Now that’s a powerful question that really gets to the heart of the matter.

You see whenever you are mired in a chronic situation, you can be sure that a necessary component, a necessary factor, hasn’t occurred. There hasn’t been a sufficient enough change to alter the situation.

This change comes from you.

When confronted with the question "What’s new in you?" there is an immediate responsibility that comes into play. This responsibility has nothing to do with guilt or culpability. On the contrary, it has everything to do with your own personal power.

In order for there to be a change in the outer circumstance, there must be a sufficient change in you first. Remembering that we are always the first domino in creating change, we can ask ourselves if we have become stagnant in our thinking or in our attitude. If we are locked into one mode that does not move us forward, then we are locked into the situation.

This is the very basis for chronic situations -- whether they are about work, finances, wellness, peace or simply being happy in life.

Another important reminder needs to be brought to the forefront. That is to remember this phrase: I am the one behind it.

It might sound dreadful at first glance. It may seem like finger pointing, but it's not. What we are talking about here is a wonderful, powerful concept.... When seeking change, always, always, always come back to yourself. Know that you alone are the source change.

If you’re looking for change in a situation you cannot be a stick in the mud and expect any significant change to occur. This is because there is no significant impact available to cause the change. Of course, this significant impact comes from you and begins with your own mindset. It’s very important to remember that mindsets can become as fixed as concrete.

This is not helpful when seeking to cause a change. If you don’t think you have a fixed mindset, try one of these exercises. Take a different route to work or to the grocery store. Deliberately take a route you’ve never taken before. Answer the phone differently. Break the order of your daily routine. Don’t watch your favorite show. Introduce breathing before you speak. Try any of these for a week. You will become aware if you have a fixed mindset.

Not that there is anything wrong with a fixed mindset. In most cases, this is a very useful aspect of our life. When it doesn’t benefit us is when significant and permanent change is sought. There is sometimes a softening of the edges needed. A flow where there has been stagnation. A flow in you does a produce a flow in life. Now the task at hand is to apply that flow to the area of life that has become painful or unpleasant.

You have been given a life force. It is the single greatest gift you possess because without it there is nothing else. You can use your life force to replace one mindset with another. More specifically, with something that is going to yield the change you seek. If you are dealing with constant lack or trauma in your life, remember to come back to yourself and see what’s in you that speaks of abundance or peace. If you find that you are always last on the list, look to see what’s in you that speaks of worth.

The very thing you seek is ready to be.

Imagine someone stands at your front door holding a solution to your very situation, yet you lock the door and deny entrance. It seems ludicrous, but this is what is occurring when we lock ourselves into concrete mindsets. It’s the change in you that allows the change in life. You make a major life shift when you go from complaining to creating. Instead of being bitter, you honor life when you use your life force.

So when you’re dealing with the same old thing day after day, month after month, year after year, ask yourself this question: What’s new?

_____

Ralph Carpio is a writer, poet and the author of The Constant Creator In You. He believes that you cannot be separated from what you are -- powerful, loving, radiant and creative -- but that you can throw it away by refusing to accept it.

You may order the book by calling 1-800-431-1579 or Amazon.com or BN.com.

Come by and read more at ConstantCreator.com

©2002 Ralph Carpio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED