Remember in The Wizard of Oz when Glenda (or for Wicked fans, Galinda) tells Dorothy all she had to do is click her heels to return home and Dorothy looks shocked. Glenda tells her she wouldn’t have believed her. Spoiler if you haven’t seen Wicked, there was also a train that went to Oz so Dorothy wouldn’t have to walk so many miles down the yellow brick road.

Life’s a lot like that. Sometimes we can’t see like the cliche says- the forest because of the trees and we have to learn the hard way or take a harder path. I feel I am on a ferris wheel sometimes- I’m way up and think I’ve got it figured out and then back on bottom, feeling hopeless. Most of the time I’m in between trying to figure out what the hell I should be doing.

According to a quick google search, 92% of our New Year’s resolutions fail. Reasons cited for failure include: unrealistic goals, poor motivation (not having a clear why), and the need for immediate gratification. So, I think Dorothy had motivation- get home, but she didn’t really understand the why until she faced some obstacles. Sometimes, we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s threatened.

How does one then make needed changes? We can’t be forced to be scared straight to get stuff done. Another quick google search points to the why we humans don’t like change-the fear of the unknown or feeling out of control. Humans also naturally seek out their comfort zone.

Have I thoroughly depressed you now? Sorry. I feel you need to know the reality of the situation first. Now, that’s settled, let’s think this through. I think change is something that you have to chip away at (gosh all these cliches I am full of today). Also, I think it also takes realizing when you are falling into the same patterns. Sorry, no clicking heels solution here.

I think to grow, it’s going to take some miles down the yellow brick road until we make it. So, I’m not going to end with my New Year’s resolutions. I am going to simply say, I’m going to try. Some days, I’ll conquer a little bit and some days, I’ll be back eating bread.

My prayer for your in 2025 is that you have the courage to make changes you know you’ve been putting off. Give yourself grace and time. You do have the power but you have to decide not me and not some lady floating around in a chewing gum bubble.