Want Change In 2016? Key To A New You
The Constant Flow of Change
Life is constant change. When we live in the present we experience this constant change as a pleasant sensation like floating gently down the river. Everything around us is a fresh discovery with acceptance of change. We feel like a child who has a sense of wonder. We experience life without fear. But then, slowly as we become adults, we learn how to live in the mind and the illusion of the past and the future. We hold on to the past and we try to control the future. The future cannot be controlled because it does not exist. It exists in our mind, but there is no physical reality to it and we can only control the present. The present has a physical form: we hear the birds or the sound of traffic and we can change our focus or move away from that experience. When we want to control that which cannot be controlled, anxiety sets in. We must learn and accept that it is impossible to control the future and stop wanting to control it. When we stop wanting to control the future the anxiety falls away on its own and we live peacefully in a stream of constant change.
When we resist change, we swim against the current and the stream becomes more powerful and dangerous.
The Crisis of Change
When we hold on to habits that do not serve us anymore a conflict arises in us. We find ourselves in situations where we do not want to be. Embodying behaviors empty of meaning, we get confused, the battle within us takes a lot of energy and we find ourselves tired, sometimes not wanting to get out of bed because we don't want to face a life that does not make sense. Depression sets in. We experience fear of the future and the unknown. We are stripped of our power and strength. We are in crisis, we need a change, but we waited so long that all we can see, live and experience is the crisis; we cannot see clearly anymore, we are drowning and we scream for help. Hopefully someone hears us. We will need a safe and nurturing environment to restore trust in life.
Small Changes to Avoid Crisis
The lesson to learn from the crisis is to stay aware and be honest with ourselves. We cannot continue to take care of everybody except ourselves. We have to stop pushing ourselves in a direction that we don't believe in. We have to stop reaching for a substance to relieve our anxiety. Seeking pleasure does not work anymore. This pill does not help to get out of bed; this job does not serve my purpose. How long will I take abuse from this man or woman? How long will I accept feeling numb? Old habits, including the painful ones, are old friends and we hold on to them because they are familiar. Fear of the future and the unknown can only be conquered by acceptance of the present and loving the adventure of life.
Make a Change Now
Another year is around the corner and full of potential. 2016 is an empty space and time like a blank canvas daunting our creativity. A painting to be created, a new story to be invented, a positive intention for a bright future, a wish for peace within, a whisper in the silent universe.
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