The idea of Embracing Change comes in our lives many times; the question is do we embrace those changes, or do we hide from them? Change usually comes swift and when it is difficult how truly prepared are we? We seem to embrace good change with happiness and gratitude, difficult change makes us want to hide under the covers. I have witnessed and experienced both, just as you have. Job loss, losing a loved one, illness, break-ups, family and friend situations can leave us stuck and keep us from living the life we desire and deserve.
When I truly accepted the fact that nothing lasts forever and change was a part of life, I became better equipped for the journey. Struggle occurs when we resist reality. So the best way to end the struggle is to embrace the impermanence in life. Enjoy the good and remember that the not so good times are just temporary. The light will appear at the end of the tunnel, it is bound to happen, you just need simple practices that bring you home to your truest self.
How to embrace change
- Just do something, sit still and in silence.
If you’re facing a massive rescaling of your life, your first impulse will be to go into a whirring spin of activity and mind chaos, which is exactly what I did right after I was diagnosed. I later discovered there’s a lot of value to sitting quietly and being with yourself in thought instead. You need to allow yourself periods of silence to find clarity and resolve.
- Listen to your wise heart.
It seems when others know we are going through a change; they become an expert on what we need to do. Advice comes from what we should do or not, it can be frustrating. I am not saying we do not need support from others, we do…what I am saying is to listen to your inner voice and listen from your heart. Your heart guides you. You become very intuitive. You gain more confidence to question what is best. You learn to begin over exactly where you are.
- Learn to live with uncertainty.
Allowing life to unfold in the present will keep you from anxiety, worrying over questions and solutions that usually never even evolve. This is also a great way to add creativity and newness into your life. That anxious feeling does not signal that you’re doing something wrong, only that you’re trying something new. Uncertainty when used as a tool opens up so many possibilities we never even knew existed.
- Shed your old skin.
Discard physical clutter, tired ideas, and old routines. Seek out a coach or mentor, seeing things through another’s eyes can help. This is one of the most helpful practices I embraced. I learned practices that still serve me so well today. I still cultivate practices I learned over three years ago. (Mindfulness, Meditations, Breath Practices, Daily Rituals and so many more)
- Ignore your inner reptile.
There’s a part of the human mind that is often referred to as the “lizard brain,” because it existed in even the earliest land animals. The lizard brain is concerned with survival; it likes the tried and true, so it’s likely to pipe up at any time, flooding you with adrenaline warnings of “Danger!” This was a handy function to have when deviating from the familiar path to the watering hole. But in the modern world it’s based within our ego when we feel fearful of many things out of our control or by mind sets we pay attention to that have no thought or reasoning. It is our flight or fight instinct. Learn to ignore or talk to these thoughts and watch them go…pouf!
- Learn self-care, self-compassion, and self-love.
Another one of my favorite practices, maybe indeed my favorite. Start learning how to become your own best friend, be gentle with yourself. When familiar routines suddenly change, it can seem as if all your ideals are gone. For a while after I lost my health, I had the sense that I was in a free fall, I lost my identities that were so inner-twined. It’s crucial, while absorbing the shock of the new, to make yourself feel well taken care of. Put yourself first, not in a selfish way but in a self fullness way.
The ability to go from resisting change to embracing change can happen. You are the only one who can make the choice to resist or embrace change. It may not happen overnight but that is okay. The next time you are faced with an experience which causes your reality to change, take a deep breath and take a step back. It is okay to be concerned or frustrated, you are human after all. Once the emotions have calmed down, just remember that we are all works in progress.
