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This Month’s Featured Wellness Aspect—Choosing Change
I recently read a quote by Anais Nin that I really like. “And the day came when the risk [it took] to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Life is constantly calling us to change and we (maybe just me…) often expend great amounts of time, energy and emotion resisting it. I just came back from two weeks of Tom Brown, Jr., Tracker, wilderness survival training that I had been resisting for 10 years. That’s a long time to keep saying ‘No’ to something that turned out to be a wonderful, enlightening, learning experience that could have benefited my life for the last 10 years. I learned so many new skills and had great! fun doing it. (The bowl drying with the two spoons is mine. Ha!)
Why did I wait so long? My beliefs. I had a preconception that this growth might be scary and I might fail. (Notice the 'mights') I knew that one of the activities would be walking through the woods toward the sound of a drum—scantily clad, blindfolded and barefoot. The activity was not scary (I felt totally protected) and I did not fail. The actual experience was so empowering that I could have carried that with me for 10 years instead of the trepidation I felt at blossoming. My beliefs and assumptions held me captive for a very long time when I could have had more balance, peace and joy in my life by changing those beliefs and stepping into change.
Because the only way to have the life you want is to create it, it means choosing change. When you know what your belief system is regarding what you can have, do or be, then you can choose to change those beliefs to create a life you love.
Choosing Change Action Tip
My tip this month for choosing change is to do one of the following:
1) Choose small changes in routine such as trying a different flavor of ice cream or reading a new type of literature. Ask yourself about your beliefs in relation to these changes.
2) If you really want life to get better, consider something you have been resisting, something that would enhance your life but may appear uncomfortable to attempt. What is your belief around this change? Ask yourself what it’s costing you not to choose to change, not to blossom in this area.
Try it. Awareness comes first.
Insights from Nature
Nature is all about change; energy moves at all times. As the seasons change, the rain patterns change, the plants change from gradual to accelerated growth then bring the growing season to an end and begin a decaying process which then..., etc. Not noticing or caring about “the past”, nature uses the creative essence of each element to create amazing beauty. She steps one way and if that doesn’t work, she tries another. If it works, there’s no staying with it, she tries to improve it. Unhampered by beliefs of what can and cannot be done, judgments from relatives, religions, government or employers, or preconceptions (this is scary,…), nature just changes to her best benefit.
The Talmud states that “Each blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow.’”
The nugget: When our lives are stressed, we can experience the changes in our lives with more peace by first simply acknowledging that everything changes. If we are not held back by past beliefs and preconceptions of a change, we are more open to create our best life. Your Angel is whispering…”Grow, grow.”
Choose change my friend,
Kathie