Are You Escaping or Chasing?

The Two Primary Reasons For Change

In my experience, most people make changes because of one of two primary reasons. They are either escaping a negative, or chasing a positive. That doesn’t mean you can’t do both. But, one or the other will be the primary reason, or what you instantly think of first as the reason for the change. Here are some examples:

1. You look at yourself in the mirror and decide you want to join an exercise program. Is your primary reason because you don’t like how you physically are, maybe you are ashamed of your body? Or, is your primary reason because you want to become stronger, maybe you have an image of yourself you would like to create?

2. You decide you want a new job. Is the reason because your job is not fulfilling, you don’t enjoy it, or maybe it’s toxic? Or, is the reason because you want more for yourself, a new challenge, higher pay, and better opportunities?

3. You decide you want to create a relationship with someone. Is it because having that relationship masks your low self-esteem, making you feel good about yourself, or provides a distraction which allows you to not have to face some negative aspect about yourself? Or, is the relationship because you simply enjoy their company, finding positive and mutual growth, emotional support, and common purpose?

Can you see the difference between the questions within each scenario? The first question is challenging you to consider if you are trying to escape or move away from something negative. The second question focuses on positive reasons, something you are striving towards.

We all go through this on a constant basis. We judge ourselves, situations, and others based on positive and negative perspectives.

It’s perfectly okay to make changes because you want to escape or move away from something. Certainly, my health risks were a huge catalyst for me to make the changes in my life. Having a toxic relationship or experience warrants escaping. However, what I find is that most often, people don’t change out of a desire to pursue something positive. They tend to not chase after growth. They are more likely to avoid or escape pain. This is a reactive way to live, not a proactive way.

I challenge you to consider what you would like for yourself. What positive results would you like to see in your life, in your health, in your relationships, in your career, and just about any other area? Break it down into steps, find out what you can do right now to start moving in that direction, and let the chase begin!

Life is constant change
Because life is movement
Adapting
Creating
Destroying
Replacing what was
With what is
You are the artist
Your life is the canvas
Create a masterpiece