Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

A TRU E VIE W O F YO UA big mistake .E. B . and Katharin e worked throug h thei r Christmas lis t an dcut nearl y sevent y names . Thei r secretary , Isabel , too k thes enames, eac h writte n o n a n inde x card , an d tie d the m togethe rwith a rubber band . Isabe l kep t th e cast-of f lis t within reach ,though, becaus e she suspected a turn o f events.Isabel was right.A few days later, Katharin e aske d fo r th e banishe d cards .She rea d th e lis t t o E . B . again an d explaine d wh y each nam edeserved reinstatement .According t o Isabel , "E . B . bowed t o th e inevitabl e an dretreated, glowering, t o his study." 1 2Another year , Katharin e agai n decide d t o hac k bac k th esacred Christma s list . Her reason : Sh e and E . B . couldn't affor dthe expense . Then sh e maile d letter s t o th e rejecte d name s o nthe list , explaining tha t sh e wouldn't b e sending Christma s greet -ings to them .ven wit h th e bes t o f intentions , w e often fai l i n our firs tefforts to change. Ol d habit s don't di e without a fight. The ygrab any opportunity t o seize us again.We're especiall y vulnerable a t these times :• When we're starting out. With an y new skill, hardly anyon egets it right th e first time . I t takes practice, practice, practice . An dafter a blunder, gathering up ourselve s and startin g over again .We need realit y checks t o remind ourselve s tha t multipl efailures precede a much-wanted success . Champion s lear n t orecover thei r fumbles.• When w e choose th e wrong time . Obviously , Katharin epicked a poor tim e o f year t o change. Sh e love d Christmas , s o i twas particularly difficul t for her t o cut bac k o n correspondenc ethen. Plus , the holida y seaso n alway s fills up wit h pressure , an dit's difficult to change when we're already stressed .When w e embark o n change , i t helps to choose a time whe nother aspect s o f lif e run relativel y smoothly. (That' s no t alway spossible, but we can stil l consider a time that's at least slightly bettertha n others. )• When we'r e uncertai n abou t ou r resolve. Sometime s w ebegin th e change proces s halfheartedly. W e feel that w e should ,29