Change Wanting to Happen
As the first signs of of Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere, many of us just can’t wait to push away the long, cold, dark days of winter.
“Not before time”, we think.
“Wow, but it’s been such a long winter”, we say.
We’re fed up with colds and flu; rain, wind and slushy snow; being shut away; bundles of clothes; miserable faces; and the list goes on ….
Change is ‘wanting‘ to happen. Or is it?
When we tune into Nature, we can experience and accept, like it or not, that seasonal change is inevitable and already under way.
We feel a sense of optimism. There is a heightened desire within many of us for a new burst of brightness and warmth to enter our lives. Ready to harness our renewed energy levels, we can’t wait to spring into action once more.
On the other hand, we might not be quite so enthused by the arrival of Spring. We didn’t shed those extra kilos yet. We’re not ready to bare our pallid flesh. Maybe those ideas and plans we’ve been incubating through the winter don’t yet feel ready to hatch.
These may seem like the opposing standpoints of different individuals, but in fact they often exist within the same person.
In some ways we’re ready and moving towards the future; in other ways, we’re hanging on tightly to the status quo. This leaves us rather stuck, indecisive and reluctant to engage with the uncertainty of it all.
Ambivalence is common to many of us whenever Change is afoot.
It is in our need for control and self-protection that this inner resistance and tension occurs. And the more we push against the forces for change, the worse it gets, causing further frustration and anguish.
Of course, we can choose to continue with this “push” strategy, which is usually counter-productive, or we can instead learn to flow with it.
When we choose to ‘flow with’, this is not the same as 'just letting things happen to you.' Instead, it means meeting Change, and our reactions to it, with a degree of compassionate neutrality. It means recognising our resistance is a natural sign that change is trying to occur.
When we can see change as a natural part of Life’s rhythm, and accept our thoughts and emotions as normal and human, then we can release ourselves from the trap of self-judgement and criticism.
We are then free to respond and resource ourselves in a more creative and sustainable way.
Just as it is for the spring blossoms pushing through snow, we can trust that Life is here to support us - and that we have everything we need.
All we have to do is, get out of our way and let ourselves flourish!