“Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its rewards, and the rewards of a transgression against its cost.” – Pirkei Avot 2:1
From the moment we wake up until we go to sleep, our day is a continuous experience of deciding and choosing between options. We struggle against the moment of our past and previous choices to make change in the present that will bring us to a brighter and happier future.
Why is it hard to break habits, to summon motivation to change, to implement resolution, and be who we envision we could and should be?
The scale is imbalanced. It’s not a fair choice. We are clear about, and connected to, one thing for sure: the gain of maintaining the status quo. And then naturally our fearful, selfish self – seeking preservation – puts us in touch with the downside of the alternative. “Oh you don’t want to change and do that, because…”
But there’s much more to the picture. In fact, the entire other half which seems to fade away as we grapple with the decision at hand:
- Along with the gain in continuing business as usual, there is a down side, negative consequences, and a cost.
- The alternative isn’t the bad monster it’s being portrayed as – there is a very bright upside.
In the moment of every present moment throughout the day we face choices and chances for change, but typically we only contemplate the gain of continuing versus the loss of changing. See why change seems hard and motivation nonexistent?
So contemplate. Somewhere along the way our ability to fantasize and imagine got put on the shelf, collected dust, and got rusty. Yet we can and need to get reacquainted.
For a few minutes every day we need to use our imagination to fill in the picture. Contemplate, in as much detail as possible, the positive: all we stand to gain by changing; what life will look like when we switch; how awesome it will feel to overcome and actualize. And also see in your mind the dark side of life on cruise control, on continuing to live the same way, think the same thoughts, feel the same feelings, and make the same choices.
When the scale is balanced the choice becomes easier.
This is great Zalman. I’ve been talking about visualization for months now with people (in the language of Chassidus – imagination). I think it is a hugely overlooked step in bringing down the vision of chochmah we have for ourselves into the actual life levushim of machshava, dibuur & maaseh. Visualizing is this bridge where we internally deal with the inner & outer obstacles we will encounter when we try to change and that subconsciously keep us from even trying to change, thus empowering us to actually make changes and overcome the obstacles when they come in real life. Please write more on the topic.