Do the Work

My therapist has mentioned more than once that I make his job too easy. He asks if he's helping. He is, but I've done a lot of the work that got me to this stage already. It's not just my bachelor's in psychology, it's not just my curiosity. It was my willingness to change and do the work and accept the help and support of those I love and who love me.

I talked to the docs, I got the meds, I changed the meds, I've read the books and browsed the internet for help. Now I'm in therapy, and while I'm just beginning, I can see that it will be a journey worth taking. The essential part of all of it is my willingness to change. Pete and I have talked about how the unwillingness to change has led to many of the woes of our society. There is a large part of the population who are afraid of change. Take the Minnesota flag for example. We had a overly complicated, more than a little bit racist flag that was problematic in many ways. So, there was a call for a new flag design. People, everyday people, came together and submitted many designs, some definitely less serious than others. Then the people were able to vote for their favorite. A simple, in my opinion elegant, design was chosen. By the people. Via vote that was widely advertised. Democratic, right? There is a section of people (especially in my rural area) who threw a fit. They refused to fly the new flag. Some local governments refused to fly it. Why? The fear of change.

Without change, nothing happens. Change is scary, I get it. But in the long run, change is often the right choice. Without change, healing cannot happen. Clearview Works itself would not happen. We all had to make the change to come together and work to bring this to life. As we find and welcome new people we'll have to adjust and make more changes. Like Kevin often writes about, we pivot. We take the information we have at the moment and make the best changes available.

Life requires change. Change requires work. Change is an active force. It stirs things up. It can shake some things loose that we didn't realize were holding us back. That's scary. It can bring up old memories you didn't know you were hanging on to. It can bring up fears and insecurities. In my case, in therapy, it will likely uncover some memories I don't know I have. But I have to change. I have to face the blank wall behind me and be brave enough to walk around it. I have so much work ahead of me, some will be good, some less so I'm sure. But in the end, I need to just do the work.