Embracing the Process of Change

Yesterday one of my new friends from group came over and helped me to get some much needed unpacking done.  We had so much fun and laughed quite a bit.  She told me a great joke about midway through our day.  Why are coins made of metal?  Because change is hard!  While some may find this little bit of wisdom corny, it not only made me laugh out loud but it also made me think about change in general.  Moving into my own place after living with my sister for a year was a big change for me, so much so that I pretty much shut down and have been living amongst stacked up boxes for the past few months.  I just couldn't face getting things unpacked and organized.  My new buddy Susan offered up her services to help get me more settled in.  We got so much done it was amazing!  She considers herself a professional personal organizer and boy is she good at it.  I never could have imagined getting so far and there was no way I was going to get it done on my own.  Our day made me realize that change is a process rather than being a single event, and for people like me it can come especially slowly.  I think because of things moving at a snail's pace with me has made me reluctant to embrace change and caused me to believe that changes won't happen because they don't occur all at once.  I'm finding the same frustration with my treatment.  Over the course of the past couple of years I've learned a lot about coping skills and ways to manage depression and anxiety.  I thought once I had these tools the depression and anxiety would magically disappear and I'd be back to normal, whatever that means.  I'm now beginning to learn and accept that change is a process, a marathon not a sprint.  I don't need to look for the finish line as the most likely isn't one.  Things are always changing and I need to acknowledge that.  I can only focus on practicing the skills I'm learning and ask for the help of others when I can't do it on my own.  There's no shame in accepting the help of others, especially when their expertise far exceeds mine in some areas.  It's great to have both professionals and friends who bring that expertise to the table to fill in the gaps and supplement areas in which I am lacking.  My life hasn't turned out quite how I envisioned it to be, but at least for now it is what it is.  I just need to keep working on making the changes that are needed no matter how fast or slowly they come to fruition.  In the end I need to start embracing the process of change rather than just waiting for it to happen on its own!  No one ever said it would be easy; that's why coins are made of metal ... change is hard!