Do You Like Change?

Do you like change?  Do you always embrace it wholeheartedly?  If you’re anything like me, the answer will usually be “No!”

 

Change happens in every part of our lives, constantly.  It is part of the way the Universe works and a necessary part of living - an inevitable, inexorable forward momentum.  Change enables growth.  Sometimes though, change is what we fear most in our lives - a change of career, a new routine, moving home or just growing old.  

 

Charles Darwin once famously said: 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives…it is the one that is most adaptable to change.”  So, it seems that it is our ability or choice to ADAPT to this change that is the key, and it can result in one of two outcomes - stress or growth, depending on how we deal with it:

 

Outcome 1: CHANGE = STRESS

Sometimes change is imposed upon us and we have to try to adapt or cope.  Sometimes we try to resist it.  This can cause stress.  Many people (myself sometimes included) find this imposed change very difficult to cope with and the stress that is caused can trigger a host of other ailments - depression, anxiety, irritability, exhaustion and feelings of loss of control.  These in turn, can cause PHYSICAL issues such as heart problems, blood pressure, hormone imbalances, hair loss, headaches, nausea and other digestive issues.

 

This reaction to change is obviously not healthy but often we find it so difficult to change the mindset of resistance that we spend our energy trying to somehow press the pause button of life to preserve that perfect time forever - and as I have found out, this is pointless.

 

Outcome 2: CHANGE = GROWTH

If we could somehow see change as an opportunity to grow and move with it, then the stresses associated with it would be reduced or disappear entirely.  Change could also be something we CHOOSE and that can be a very positive thing.  We can all make a conscious effort to change how we see ourselves, a job, etc.  Changing how we see ourselves might mean valuing ourselves more, recognising when we are stressed or sad, realising that we are doing our best or admitting that we have had enough of something.  I know that I expect too much of myself and have often fallen short of the expectations I have set for myself.  I have made a concerted effort to acknowledge that I can’t do everything perfectly, and to accept that.  This simple change has made me a much happier person.

 

This is very empowering - when we change what’s going on in our minds, we also change what’s going on in our body.  It can revitalise us and give us renewed energy and, instead of resisting the change and being locked into a negative mindset, we can embrace it and grow with it.  With this new positive spirit comes a reduction in the ailments that accompany stress - headaches, anxiety, irritability, etc.  We’ve gone from disease to ease.

 

Jim Rohn, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker once said, ” Your life does not get better by chance.  It gets better by CHANGE.”  So…embrace it, go with it and GROW with it!

 

#change #growth #stress #Stone #reflexology #coping #holistic #positivethoughts