False Narrative: We change by our own will power.

Will Power: The human capacity to choose. (Will I wear red? or will I wear blue?)
            Will power, according to James Bryan Smith, is influenced by three sources...
                     1. Mind   2. Body  3.  Social Context

James Bryan Smith challenges the idea that we can make changes based on will power; instead he believes the will itself actually does not have "power" (will power ) but is influenced by these three sources above.  

He casually makes the connection that 90% of New Year's Resolutions don't last past the end of January not because people don't have will... They chose ( the will) to make the resolution, instead the three influences on the will did not align for the resolution to stick.

This briefly mentioned connection encouraged me to relate this concept more personally to me to make it more real. The more I read, the more I saw how maybe God placed this connection in my mind. As an occupational therapist, I work with patient's who have experienced something life altering that has in someway, shape or form led them to me to rehab. Where I currently work this is life altering "thing" is most commonly stroke, so that is the basis of my small analogy.

If 99% of the patient's I see could be healed on "will power" these people would be better than they were before the stroke, these people WANT so badly to return to walking, using their hands, etc.; however, as pointed out by James Bryan Smith change simply does not occur by this notion of will power.
Instead their Will Power, their choice to get better, has led them to rehab, and ultimately to me. But their will is influenced by these 3 sources.
1. Mind-- emotions (i.e. the depression often seen after stroke), the stories they know of other stroke survivors, etc.
2. Body-- this is generally where most of my patient's are most influenced... The hemiparesis (paralysis of one side of the body)  often occurring after stroke, the gait abnormalities, and the list goes on and on.  And then patient's engage in hours and hours of therapy and are asked to do more home exercises on their own time to influence their body... Like I said this category is huge for me, as I expand on in a later post.
3. Social Context-- my patient's recovery is influenced by the family that surrounds them, the medical and rehab staff that surrounds them, and the community the patient's build among each other.  

It  may seem silly to make this analogy, but as I read further into how these 3 sources relate to my will, I began to realize truly how important each influence is because of how often I "preached" these things to my patient as part of their recovery process and will to get better. 

So... in my maiden post I stated how I crave change in my heart. I have the Will Power, to make this change.  Up next, how James Bryan Smith relates my will to change and turn more towards God to these three sources. 

How can you make this concept personal to you? Will you share this with me?