Family Stress, Changing The Course Of A River

Can you change the course of a river? The easy answer is, of course, yes! If only it was that easy though. Why would anyone want to take the trouble to change the course of a river anyway? Because such an undertaking is so difficult, there had better be a very good reason for doing it. A reason such as: to prevent flooding, to grow crops, or maybe to gain some land for housing. Nature is not easily changed. Think about the river; it has developed it's present course over many centuries and has altered the earth around it by erosion and silt deposits. It really has a life of its own.

How does this relate to families and stress? Well, all of us are born into circumstances that are beyond our control. As we mature, we often wish we could change our family, or change the traits we inherited. My own family has many wonderful traits, and many not-so-wonderful traits. For example: my maternal grandparents were very hospitable and generous. They were quite tolerant of other people and patient. On the other hand, my paternal grandparents were nearly polar opposite. Grumpy, stingy, grudge bearing and always scheming to take advantage of somebody. Sometimes even one another!

As a teenager, I made a conscious decision to be like the maternal grandparents and do my best to avoid being like the paternal grandparents. And so, I set about trying to change the course of my own, personal river. This has been much more difficult than I ever imagined. Is it worth all the effort? Absolutely! Personally, I am driven to it. Not only for my sake, but for the sake of my own children. No matter how deeply ingrained negative family traits may be, it is possible to change them. It's almost like a DNA change that gets passed on.

Back to the river analogy though. Think of all the dredging required to remove the sludge from the river bed. Imagine the work required to dig out a new course for the water. Plus, the river is still running! Changing family traits is very much like changing the course of a river, life just keeps on moving while you are trying to redirect it!

Be prepared for a long, uphill battle against the current. Is is worth it? Yes! Once your family gets a taste for a new way of life, they will begin to work with you and the progress begins to emerge. What a joy and relief! With a clear vision and untiring determination it will succeed! If we can visualize it, we can materialize it! Our family blog has all kinds of useful and inspiring tips and ideas to help. We are in this together! http://stress-familyhealth.net/blog