Just as frequently, however, there was no tragedy that preceded people’s transformations. Rather, they changed because they were embedded in social groups that made change easier.
This taps into an interesting line of research (and social biases.) We tend to think that radical change is only possible after someone experiences a radical problem: We’ve all heard, for instance, of the brush with cancer that prompts someone to start exercising and dieting, or the near-death accident that causes someone to start working less and spending more time with her kids.
But it turns out that most people who radically change their life don’t have a radical problem that precedes the change. Most people don’t wait until they have cancer or an accident. Rather, they start believing that change is possible, and they work at the change - and fail repeatedly - until they learn enough to make the change become real.
And I find that really inspiring, because it means two things: First, you don’t have to wait for the cancer or the accident to become the person you want to be.
And, second, failing at change is part of the process of changing. Just because you start a diet, and then fall off the wagon, that doesn’t mean you’ll never lose weight. It just means that you’ve figured out one of the weaknesses of your dieting plan - and now you’re ready to start again, with a plan in place for the next time that weakness appears.
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