When you change the way you look at something, what you see will change.

That’s a really bad attempt to quote Deepak Chopra, who I recently saw speak at a conference. He also said that our bodies are merely artificial manifestations of our collective, raised consciousness and that we are merely energy entangled within the DNA of our ancestors (or something extremely deep and ponderous like that). For purposes of this post, we’ll just stick to the first quote.

 According to Dr. Chopra, we all have a set point. A default position for how we view things. For instance, when we encounter a challenge, do we view it as a problem or an opportunity? The bad news is that this set point is typically formed within the first three years of life. It gets worse. We typically create our set point by mirroring based on expression, body language and other cues from our surroundings. Okay, now stop. Think about how your parents respond to stimulus. Scared? Well, don’t be. You can change this set point through self-awareness.

This past week, I was reminded once again of my set point. I got up close and personal with a big heaping spoonful of self-awareness.

I’ve been grappling with a major life decision. I’ve blogged about that several times lately. Through this experience, I’ve come to realize that you don’t have to be going through trials and tribulations to stretch and test your faith. You can be challenged while being blessed. It’s almost embarrassing for me to admit that the big crisis I’m wrestling is whether to take a new job or stay in the one I currently hold.

In a time when many people have been seeking work and struggling through a sluggish economy, I feel more than guilty for asking anyone to pity me in my situation. But it’s been hard. The new job is a risky one with lots of upside. My current job is stable but has taken a mental toll on me. It’s been a really hard decision, in part because I’m finding it hard to trust that God will provide no matter what my decision is.

I’m placing enormous pressure on myself to make the right choice, to not mess everything up. I’ve defaulted to my set point, which is to over-analyze and then paralyze myself. To create a scenario where I’m near meltdown and stressed beyond belief. Where I drive my wife crazy all weekend, pacing back and forth while flip-flopping on what I should do. Where I somehow turn a very enviable position into the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 it says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

Wow, my set point is soooooooooooooo far away from that. It’s a daily battle to adjust it. To continue to be self-aware. But Dr. Chopra is right. About the whole change thing. As soon as I realized how I was responding to the situation, it changed the way I viewed it. And that changed the situation itself.

I’m happy to report that I am starting a new professional chapter. I’m taking the new job. I’m trusting that God will continue to provide. I have sadness to leave my current team and everything that I’ve accomplished there for the past several years. But at the same time, this move is going to significantly stretch my faith. I won’t have any safety net, other than God.  My set point naturally says that is too dangerous. That I should reconsider.

But the set point I strive for rejoices in the opportunity and gives thanks. And keeps the Spirit flowing within me. It feels good to put it in writing. I can’t wait to see how God uses this new chapter in my life to further His will.