Self-change is tough, but it's not impossible, nor does it have to be traumatic. Hearing the word "change" tend to make people feel uncomfortable in many ways. In minor things like being asked to change seats in a class room, to major ones like migrating to an unfamiliar place and having to experience a massive change in environment and lifestyle. It has to do with something different, and something that is "different" is out of our comfort zone, thus making us uncomfortable. It requires effort. In the world today, in order to make a change, something huge has to be done. Massive effort and unity from people is required in order to be heard and for a change to happen. Change definitely requires effort. While the thought of change scare most people, change on the other perspective happens effortlessly without us even knowing.
As we all gradually cruise through life, our habits, experiences, and character will unknowingly sum us up at one point or another. While we think of change as something "different" and "uncomfortable", according to Heraclitus, "The only thing constant in life is change.". We all go through change without knowledge or intention. Our feelings change, we grow old, these are the things that happens that most of the time we are unconscious of. These things proves that change is without reproof, inevitable. Our free will, genetics, experiences, choices, relationships, environment, sums up our character and our life as a whole.
In this article entitled "Could Fasting Change your Business? Your Life? Your World?" written by Justin Brackett from the site www.business2community.com, the author intentionally decided to bring about a change in his life through Fasting. He shared his discoveries as he embarked on a 40 day fasting that positively changed his life dramatically in all the areas of his life. To start with, the author is a 54-year old man that has condition called mercury poisoning that negatively impacted his life for seven years, that impaired his ability to walk and talk. He was sick and it had almost left him hopeless. Prior to that, bad things had happened in his life just like most people. All this had left him burdened, and he had to make a change in his life. In his 40 day fasting, he shut off most of the noise in his life, specifically suspending his Facebook account and shutting off his TV. Ate only very limited amount of food, that only consisted of fruits, vegetable, and proteins. He exposed himself to inspiration everyday, which includes reading the bible, playing inspirational music, reaching out to mentors, focusing on positive emotions, and writing down all his thoughts. He wrote as his emotions we're being cleansed, as his body changes, as he gain insights, and as he felt as if God was breathing into his soul as he goes through the changes he needed to make. He shared on the article all the health benefits he achieved. Having the energy, concentration, balance, strength of a 20-year-old, losing weight, and overcoming his condition. All of this enhanced his relationships, career, and perspective. Fasting, he stated, changed his business, life, and his world. He went on as he summarized how fasting had provided him with spontaneous healing, not only in my body, but in my mind, will and emotions.
Among all the benefits and the things he shared on his journey with fasting, the thing that caught my attention most was the change in his relationships and interaction with people. The author, Justin Brackett stated "I can ‘hear’ people better than ever before in my life. I don’t mean literally hear, I mean I can hear their heart, their core concerns, the center piece of what they’re trying to share, seems to resonate with me now in a brand new way."
Abstaining from things that we rely to when we feel weak, or things that we find comfort to, allows us to confront the root problem, focus on it, and deal with it. Turns out that when we fast, we also cleanse out not just our digestive system, but our toxic emotions as well along the way as part of the process. We deal with our problems face to face, and we get it over with. We don't just eat it away. It gives us clarity, allowing us to go deep to the core of our hearts and to other people's heart as well. We become more sensitive to our soul as we take our flesh away from its comfort zone. Knowing this part of change in his life makes fasting over all worth the journey.
In the article entitled "Fasting for Families: When We Act, We Can Change the World" written by Heather Booth from the site www.huffingtonpost.com, the author fasted for the purpose of bringing attention to the moral need for immigration reform. The author, along with other people from different movements, fasted to touch the hearts of the authorities as they show their true commitment on making a movement for justice. The author stated that as they fast, they gained deep respect for the passion and determination from people, and sought justice and democracy as the movement draw attention. She ended the article stating how wonderful it is to be on the right side of history, with a tag line "To Fast. To Act. To Change the World."
By the 5th day of the author's fasting, Heather Booth testified "As I felt weaker, I felt even more strongly the commitment to the effort as we could see the way the news was spreading and the impact we were having."
I believe that this part is the most important struggle during fasting. It is the part when one really finds out it's core purpose for the fast. The part of the journey where you start to recognize what really matters, where you really draw your strength to. The part where you find out the deepest passion of your heart. A passion that could not be aggravated by anything that the flesh could grasp itself into.
Whether it be making a movement for justice in the world, or simply making a change to straighten our lives, making a change requires sacrifice. An effort we have to make.
When things go wrong, we can't always just sit back at our comfort zone and watch things straighten its own magically. What you reap is what you sow. And if you don't have a sole purpose in life, most likely you'll end up reaping nothing, and feeling lost. Perhaps it's time to abstain from things that's keeping us from finding out our true purpose in life. To seek our very core of our hearts, the reason of our existence. It may surprise us how much difference it can change our lives. Our world. A surprising revelation that makes every effort for change, worthwhile.
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