When I was younger I used to think some things would last forever. I am sure a lot of people think like this, or maybe you don’t. But nonetheless, as I got older I realized nothing stays the same. It’s a sad, beautiful, scary, and freeing realization all at the same time.
It is sad because some things have to end, it is beautiful because new things grow, it is scary because you don’t know what’s coming next, and it is freeing because you let things flow – the universe does it’s work.
Realizing that nothing stays the same is an important reason to embrace change a lot more – I mean you might as well since change is coming whether you like it or not. The world is in a constant state of change, you’re in a constant state of change, everything you are experiencing (even at this very moment) is in a constant state of change.
Change is everywhere. It is in the flowers, your dog that’s aging, the relationships you maintain, the relationships that fall apart, your stock portfolio, the friends that come into your life and the friends that drift away, the salad that gets broken down in your body, and the list goes on and on and on.
Change is like one of those things you don’t always see but it’s always there. It is always happening.
I am definitely not saying change is easy though, to some it may be easier while to others it may be more difficult.
The Best Ways to Embrace Change:
1. Give things time:
Have you ever started something new and you didn’t enjoy it the first two week. But then, as time went on you grew to love it!
An example of this can be starting a new job. Maybe you did not like the job at first because you were unfamiliar with the role and it took you longer to complete tasks. But, as you learned more about the role you grew to love it. You then started learning from the role everyday and challenged yourself to do better each day.
Or, maybe you started a new sport and you were not great at it. You kept falling and could not seem to get it. Therefore, you did not like it and maybe even wanted to give up.
But then, as the weeks of practice went by – you started getting it. With consistent practice, you became really good at the sport. Every day you started to see more positive results as you grew more familiar with the sport. You started to love seeing the change and improvements each day.
You started to embrace change.
2. Know that in order to grow and learn – change is essential:
If you are doing the same thing day in and day out and are sticking to the exact same routine, chances are you are familiar with everything that your job and day requires.
If something becomes too familiar to you, you become accustomed to it. Your mind is not working as much because you become a master of the task, and it almost becomes your second nature. You might even transition to autopilot and complete the task subconsciously because you know it so well.
In order to learn and make room for growth you must be open to change and trying new things. When you try new things you are exercising your mind, and sometimes your body too depending what change you are making. Change is what allows you to experience brand new things and learn from these very things.
3. When you look back you will be proud of how much you have grown over time:
Since change is responsible for growth, you can thank yourself for being courageous enough to embrace change. You will look back at all you accomplished and be amazed. Journaling and writing your goals down will help you celebrate the small wins. You can look back at all you have accomplished, and notice how far you progressed in your goals and everyday life changes and challenges.
4. Meditation can help you embrace change and allow you to realize it really is alright
Meditation is a valuable practice for embracing change. When you are struggling with accepting change, meditation can remind you that it really is alright. Mindful awareness comes naturally when meditating so you become more aware in your daily life – things that were not once clear to you start to become clearer.
Things start to make sense, and you start to spot more opportunities for positive change rather than missing them right before your eyes. Meditation also allows you to become more focused on a task, so if you are working towards something you want to accomplish and change in your life, meditation can essentially help you get there.
For instance if you are thinking about changing your career field and are scared of the big change. Meditation would play a role in making this change because it will act as a tool to help you stay more focused on creating this change for yourself, while also – grounding you to be grateful for where you are.
Here are some great meditation resources to get you started:
- Headspace – meditation app (free and paid options)
- Boho Beautiful Meditations – guided meditation on YouTube (free)
- Deepak Chopra – guided meditation on YouTube (free)
- Gratitude Journal – not a meditation but a great gratitude journal
5. Action Comes Before Motivation
The hardest step in creating and embracing change in your life is getting started. Once you start acting on your words and doing, motivation flows in naturally. When you commit to action you will start to see positive change and progress.
Once you start to see progress you will react in a favourable way and you will want to keep working on the project you are working on even more, because you realize it is actually working -it will give you motivation to keep doing what you are doing. It is like the saying “you gotta see it to believe it”.
But, the only way to see it is to start doing it first and then you will see it. Focus on the process and not just the results. When you’re focused on action and the process of it all, change is the result. Change will flow in naturally.
How I Learned to Embrace Change (A Personal Experience):
I used all of the tips provided above to become more comfortable with change. But, what ultimately inspired me to challenge myself to embrace change was the quote written below.
Read this quote and reflect on it: This is my favorite quote related to change, attachment, and open mindedness. It acts as a reminder of the inevitable truth – that everything is truly temporary.
“Have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing”.
Dr. Wayne Dyer
I used to open my journal every single night and read this quote to myself before bed. This acted as a way to engrain this into my head and in a sense change my mindset around this subject.
I can confirm, it worked for me – it is quite freeing and you should definitely try it sometime. Of course, some experiences or instances are tougher than others to accept the course of change, like saying goodbye to a loved one or a negative experience you may have had to work through.
But change is needed. Change is essential to growth. Attachment just leads to disappointment and sadness and you can never grow if you are in a constant state. you need change in order to grow, and you need to be open enough to see the possibilities that come out of change.
Over the years I’ve become comfortable with change and I actually find myself moving towards it. I prefer it. I’ve learned that attachment is unsustainable and that the only way to grow is to rid yourself of attachment.
If you start moving towards change you’ll probably discover so many new things about yourself, your capabilities, and the world around you.
When you embrace change, rid yourself of attachment, and approach things with an open mind; well, that is true freedom.
When you embrace change, rid yourself of attachment, and approach things with an open mind; well, that is true freedom.
– Me
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