We want things to change, but we don’t like change, and at the same time, it’s clear to all of us that change is guaranteed to happen—everything changes all the time. So why is it so hard for us to make peace with it and enjoy it? Is it our expectation and belief that things need to go in a certain way?
When something ‘great’ happens to us, we want it to stay forever, and when something ‘bad’ happens to us, we want it to change ASAP. Many times when we look backward, we see that the thing that happened to us, which we thought was so ‘bad,’ ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to us. So, we just don’t know.
So it’s not so much about what is happening to us but the way we think about what happened to us that creates the ‘problem’ with change and our ability to stay open to change so we can welcome and embrace change. So maybe we need to reconsider how we use our mind… Instead of trying to predict what will happen and creating levels of expectation, we need to use our mind to see where we are now, what’s happening now, and follow up with an action that is most aligned for us.
The question is – Can we trust ourselves and the universe that if we stay present without constantly trying to predict what will happen (we don’t know anyway) and be aligned with our next action, things will work out? After all, so many things happen for us all the time to keep us alive, and we do not even pay attention to them.
A few simple examples:
– Taking a breath – We are not worried if we will get air in our next breath.
– The sun coming up tomorrow morning.
– My heart will keep pumping without stopping for the next XX years.
– Etc.
So, for the BIG things that actually keep us alive, we trust (or don’t even think about) but for the small things, we drive ourselves crazy.
I’m suggesting a new way of using our mind (instead of creating expectations):
– See where you are right now.
– Pay attention to how we feel right now.
– Recognize that the universe is taking care of you.
– What is the most aligned and exciting action I can take right now?
The above can be done in 3-5 seconds. For the next 10 days, just try as often as you can to wake up for 3-5 seconds. I set it up as a reminder on my calendar to pop up every 30 minutes, and the impact on my life is huge! This quick awakening gets me grounded and clear, helps me see how I feel, and I can make quick changes and ride the change instead of fidgeting with it