Change | Acceptance | God, Love of

From the writings of Anthony de Mello comes this beautiful reflection on change:

I was a neurotic for years. I was anxious and depressed and selfish. Everyone kept telling me to change.

I resented them, yet I agreed with them, and I wanted to change, but simply couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried.

What hurt the most was that, like the others, my wife kept insisting that I change. So I felt powerless and trapped.

Then, one day, she said to me, “Don’t change. I love you just as you are.”

Those words were music to my ears: “Don’t change. Don’t change. Don’t change…I love you as you are.”

I relaxed. I came alive. And suddenly, I changed! Now I know that I couldn’t really change until I found someone who would love me whether I changed or not.