Embracing Change to its Glory

Welcome to 2020!

Embracing change brings the opportunity for renewal. Planning ahead supports the vision. Monitoring and assessing the now highlights what is required. There are thousands of things that make a lot of sense for me to go ahead and embrace change, and yet I resist it. Does it sound familiar? Great, because this is is precisely what I would like to share with you on today’s post.

Feeling resistance is what indicates the possibility of change. Yes, read it again. Contemplating the idea of change would trigger the feeling of resistance inside of you. We want to do it but not quite yet, right? Or what about: “I know it is good for me but right now is not a good time”. It can be also symptomatic: “I really want to do it, but I am unwell today”, “tomorrow would be better”. You will be amazed at what we – humans – are able to feel in order to divert to what we “know best”.

So the first thing to know about embracing change is that it does not feel great. It really doesn’t. Our body is trying to protect us from the “unknown”. Literally, it is using all its force and energy to stop us from doing something different. The brain’s mains function is to keep us alive. Doing something new is risky: there is new learning involved, new energy expenditure, new things to discover and there is no guarantee they would be all pleasant. Our brain works for us to keep us alive.

The second thing to know about embracing change is that valuable and meaningful goals empower us to feel beyond fear and resistance. Knowing what we want and doing what we want is what empowers us to overcome fear and resistance. Ophra Winfrey, Martin Luther King, Coco Chanel, Tolkien, Serena Williams, Susan Jeffers and so many other humans- just like us – have embraced change in all its full glory. They have felt fear and resistance many times too. Knowing what is wanted and actually doing it propels change. As Susan Jeffers says “Feel the fear and do it in anyway”-.

Lastly, feeling fear and resistance is an inevitable part of growing and transforming. Remember the pain of actually growing into adulthood: losing teeth, falling from your bike, first day of school, first job, first relationship and so on. We learned to grow and transform by going through the feeling of fear and resistance thousands of times. So what made it worthy before? Finding a good valid reason may offer us a space to re-direct our energy towards change with a more clear and positive feeling.

Activating the knowledge

The way I learn best is by trying it myself. Reading books essays and blogs is great. Experiencing it is greater. I can offer you the following based on my own experience:

Awareness is the birthplace of change: change takes place when we become aware.
Anything we want to do different requires new energy expenditure: we are moving towards something new and away from the body homeostasis state.
Stepping into the unknown is uncomfortable: it means risk and getting out from our comfortable environment towards a new uncomfortable one.
Expect resistance from within: this is the uncomfortable sign- feeling – of you emerging into the new space-time of moving towards something new – the unknown.
A clear intention supports an informed decision: This is achieved by Knowing and revealing- to yourself- the real intention behind what you want.
Mind travels to the future: Visualizing your destination can offer you a strong anchor point to keep your mind and body focused and on-track. Also, it can answer “why I am doing this?”
Having a coach or mentor make things easier: Talking to another human being that can shine a light for us while challenging and support our thinking gives us a greater opportunity to access a new plane of possibilities and opportunities.
Have a clear agenda or goal: This is establishing a clear and believable gain, benefit or reward. It will fuel the energy within yourself!
Apply what Henry Ford said: “Whether you believe you can or can’t, you are right”. Make up your mind and don’t look back in anger.