Change, even if we initiate it ourselves, is not easy. It requires us to be in an empty space for a while. A space that is both full of uncertainty, and potential, between what we have known and making room for something new.
Change competes with our desire for predictability, and at the same time calls us to adventure, possibility, and surprise.
Status quo is comfortable, it’s familiar but it is like a body of water that has no current or flow and is dull and sluggish.
The ending of one thing is also the beginning of another. We all experience many endings and many beginnings of things we could not have imagined last week, last year, or ten years ago.
During a time of change it is important to remember you are durable, adaptable, and resilient. You have gone through changes before and undoubtedly learned a great deal.
Here are straightforward approaches you can take through change:
- Change is a work in progress. It will take time to adjust to the new.
- Increase your understanding of change. What is it, what needs to happen, what will come of the change?
- It is likely not everything is changing. Looking at the things that aren’t changing can be very reassuring.
- Find things you can control. Exercise as many choices as possible during change. It can reduce fear and discontent.
- Find support. Get consistent support throughout any change.
- Clarify and reinforce your priorities. Ask yourself what makes the change worthwhile?
Fear and hesitation around change are normal. Control what you can, be open to new outcomes, and replace old ideas with new ones that no longer work for you.
There have been times in my life when I just got sick and tired of old behaviors and old habits and that in itself was a move toward changing them. There is more to life than increasing its speed, so it is okay not to race into change.
Reflection: “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” Wayne Dyer
Today’s Practice: Live a life that is driven more by curiosity than by fear.