Imagine a door in front of you. (or a cocoon all around you) It’s big and solid and you have no idea what is on the other side. It could be something awful. It could be something wonderful. You have no idea, nor can anyone tell you or offer advice, for it is YOUR door. It is only for you. It could shake your world as you know it, or add another layer of joy to your current situation. But you just don’t know. How do you feel about going through that door?
Most people have some level of fear around the unknown. Most people have resistance to change. While they may not like their current situation, it is comfortable and they know what to expect. Why rock the boat? Just get a “Life Sucks, then You Die” bumper sticker and on you go. And sometimes we must go through that door of change, even though we are fighting it all the way.
Or you could take a leap of faith in whatever lies beyond the door. You could possibly then own the bumper sticker “Life is an adventure. YEEHAW.” But you won’t know until you open the door and step through.
Why do we resist change? Primarily it is the fear of the unknown. What is behind that door? Adding to that, we live in a fear based society. It comes at us from all angles all day long. It is easy to buy into; to become fearful and try to stay safe. Though fear-filled “what ifs” we are controllable. Fear sells and marketing firms and politician know it.
We hold our life experience memories in our energetic fields much like a computer holds information; electro-magnetically. The more we think, feel and talk about something, the bigger it gets in our life—whatever it is (including fears!). We are feeding it and keeping it alive. That can be a productive thing for us, or not.
Perhaps you’ve been in a challenging relationship and it still pushes your buttons. It would certainly cause you to pause before jumping into another one, would it not? The energy you feed into that charge around the relationship is energy that you do not have available for something more joy filled. Plus the negative energy hurts you.
Pain, stiffness or movement limitations are often the result of trauma, stress, movement habits, injury, illnesses, stuffed emotions, fears or self-imposed limitations. The energy from these things can be stored in your body, causing you emotional and physical challenges.
Our bodies and minds are designed to be in motion, not frozen in time. The society we live in is constantly evolving and changing. As stated in the article, Centered in Chaos, “We are facing unprecedented danger as millions die annually due to an epidemic of stress-induced illness. The UN’s World Health Organization warns of a global epidemic of depression largely due to the stress of rapid change. Future shock is suffered by billions around the globe as the result of a world changing at ever increasing intensity.” That was stated in 1999.
Have you noticed an epidemic of depression in our country? It’s not surprising. And it’s commonly known that stress related illnesses are the majority of “what ails us.”
And our cells have a genetic programming to stress; fight or flight to save our lives. While that was appropriate when our survival depended upon it, these days our survival stress levels are more apt to come from the stupid computer, mile long To Do lists, change and the like. The response is the same. Being constantly on alert is making us ill and reducing our mental capacity. We have an evolutionary lifestyle and in order to not only survive, but thrive in it, we need to learn to deal with the rapid rate of change.
As we step into new territory (change) it is a wonderful time to also step into new, healthier habits and thought patterns. Like spring, it is time for us to begin to blossom into something new. And that can be very exciting. But how do you deal with ongoing change?
It may mean learning new stress-reduction skills or increasing your awareness of yourself and your environment. Learning to take care of yourself and your needs is very important. No longer is self care a luxury; it is a necessity. For if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of your life!
Albert Einstein once said “the significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of think we were at when we created them.” In other worlds, it’s time to be open to new perspectives, lean new skills or consider new ways of being.
Are you ready? (it’s ok to feel the fear, just don’t let it own you) Take a deep belly breath and let the door open. Often the more fear you feel as you approach the door (or work to keep it shut), the more joy you can find on the other side (perhaps it’s simply the relief that it wasn’t as scary as you thought). In any case, opportunities arise as you open that door.
All of life changes and grows, including us. Your piece is how you choose to handle it.
A friend of mine asked me to go SUP (stand up paddling) on the river with her; she said it would be fun. 
