I know a secret…..want to know what it is?  I know the question and the answer.  A couple of months ago, the question that was asked was, “How do you motivate someone who wants to be different?” Now, “be different” could be replaced with “give more”, “be successful”, or “be less of a screwup”.  We all have something that we want to change — whether it be changing our weight, our employment, our outlook, etc.  There is always something to change.  Some things are bigger than others and will take more time, more effort, more everything.  Others will only need a few moments to fix and then order has been restored.  I believe that we are constantly changing, but some things never change.  Not unless you want them to.  So, do you have an answer for this question?  Have you ever asked yourself this question?  Want to know the answer?  Here it is: YOU CAN’T!!!  If people don’t want to change, they won’t.  Regardless of how much you want them to or you think they should.  Until they are ready to change, you are fighting an impossible battle.  You can inspire them to change and you can plead with them to change, but nothing will work until they decide they want to change.  I have said the same speech to several different people and as much as they come back for encouragement, they change nothing.  Nothing.  There is this invisible force field that prevents them from taking those steps on the road to different.  Those people believe that others have put the force field there and it becomes an excuse about why they cannot make any forward progress.  They point it out, “See? I can’t go anywhere”, as they look for validation from you, so that you in turn will tell them, “It’s ok — you tried.”  There are a couple of women that I know that are constantly looking at life like the future has been written and that everything will be as bleak as they project it to be.  Here is another question for you — “How do I inspire someone who wants to be different?”  This answer is: I  CAN’T!!!   They have to be ready to receive it.  It cannot be forced, paid for, or manipulated.  It must be freely given in order for it to be graciously received.  it is always a choice. We have something more powerful inside us that we forget about all the time.  It is permenant…and lives within us every day.  IT is free will — we have the choice, the willingness, and the wish to change our lives at any moment.  So the most difficult question has the easiest answer and now that you have this new knowledge, the question becomes, “what will you do with it?”  Keep asking questions…eventually you will find your answers.  Here are maybe some good ones…  “Only a Mountain” by Jason Castro

Michelle A. Homme 2013 ©