Is there a change?

In psychology there is a term called the “difference threshold” which represents the smallest increase in energy needed to detect that a stimulus has changed. For example, how much brighter does a light have to become for you to detect a change in the light’s brightness. How many times have you gotten yourself in a situation only to realize that you were too deep to get out of it? That means that the barrier of your difference threshold is too low. You have been desensitized to change. Thus, the only change you recognize is drastic change.

Have you ever felt like a situation crept up on you or caught you off guard? It’s like standing in the ocean and feeling the small waves hitting up against you. You never realize that the waves are carrying you deeper into the ocean until the water gets high on you (you get too deep). Better yet, you may never even notice a change in the size of the waves; until one comes and almost drowns you (a situation overtakes you). This is because as change occurs you adapt to them. This is better known as “sensory adaptation.”

I’m sure by now you’re wondering, “What is he getting at?” However, my reason for bringing this out to you today is that there are so many times negative and positive changes happen in our life and we never notice them. It’s like a bad habit; you never realize you curse too much when you say one word here and there. It is those moments when you are screaming and cursing like a sailor that you stop and say “I need to stop this” or “when did I start cursing like this?” This is because as our behavior progress and gets stronger, we adapt. Therefore, we never realize we are possessed or addicted or even have major emotional issues because we adapt to it and it becomes normal to us. My challenge to you this week is that you examine your character, your actions and even your personality and ask yourself the question “am I harboring something or acting in a way that I don’t think I should?” this very question will lead you down the path of discovering what it is that may be hindering progress in your life.

Quote of the week:

“You may never see your abnormalities, because they are normal to you.” J. Martin