Embracing Change

As the last rays of summer’s warmth wane away and the gentle breeze of Autumn spread themselves over our bodies, we recognize once again that change is inevitable. Nature is continuously changing, and yet, so many people have the notion that change is frightening, while we’ve been surrounded by it our entire lives.

Humans are described as creatures of habit. We love sticking to what we know and what works. After all, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? Most find it challenging to adapt to new settings evolving right before our eyes. Living life in your comfort zone is like walking around in your most comfortable sweater. It lays perfectly on every curve of your body and shows signs of wear and thinning in all of the right spots. The familiar feel of air touches your back as it breezes through the tattered holes that were carefully crafted with time. We realize that we need a new one, and we may even find a new sweatshirt we like, but the change leaves us stiff and uncomfortable until we break our new one in.

Life isn’t always easy, though we all wish it were. What may be better for us may not be what we’re used to but after the initial shock of change, we realize that it was certainly worth the trouble of breaking in new habits and lifestyle changes.

The transition doesn’t have to be unpleasant. If we look to nature, it gives us clues to how the change can be effortless. Take some time to notice how the Autumn leaves do not hang on to the old tree for dear life. Instead, they begin to loosen themselves, ready to detach, and eager for change. The beautifully colored leaves yield to the changes with ease and float gently off the tree, welcoming a new adventure. They await to be carried away by the Autumn winds to soar along the breeze, gliding to the ground to rest for only a moment before catching another ride with the next draft that carries them away — just going with the flow.

With the coming of Autumn, we’ve been busy in our gardens, pulling up the old and preparing for a time of stillness and rest. We know that the ground must replenish its soil, and next year, we will surround us with the beauty that enchants us once again.

Do you have dead weight in your life that needs to be released? Situations you would like gently eased out of your presence? Maybe some relationships, habits, or thoughts that we need to weed out of our lifestyle. Do some gardening in your own life. How delightful it would be to open your hand and release all the unneeded and unwanted into the wind, never to return.

Every person with a green thumb knows that unless you get to the roots, you will not get rid of the problem. On the surface, it may appear to go away for a while, but unless we get to the source, it will sneak back into the garden very quickly and threaten to choke the blossoms we are trying to become.

Although harvest is here, we must not stop weeding the garden of our thoughts. Thoughts need constant attention for us to flourish and bloom into our full potential. The only way to keep this garden neat and pleasing to the eye is to make sure that there aren’t any weeds trying to strangle the good we are trying to cultivate within our lives. Negative thoughts embedded in our minds are weeds that creep into the landscape and choke out our ambition to achieve that which we endeavor.

William James talked about human beings changing the outer aspects of their lives by changing the inner attitudes of their minds. The big question is, how do we change the inner attitudes of our minds. The answer is to change the way we think. Our brains are extraordinary. We must put negativity and fear behind us. I know that this is always easier said than done, but just as the Autumn leaves gently blow from the tree and have slowly readied themselves for release, we must not try and make a change in our thinking overnight and expect to get immediate results. We can’t rip these thoughts out of our minds, as much as we would like to sometimes. It’s a process. We need to be gentle on ourselves, allow ourselves grace, and let positivity replace negativity

It will take some work on your part. It would be best if you always fill your mind with positive thoughts and actions. In Proverbs 27: 3, it says, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. We are what we believe in our hearts. When negative perceptions come into your mind, you must be ready and willing to replace those with positive ones. Just say to yourself, no, I won’t allow that thought to take over my mind, I will think positively. Speak life.

Affirmations are great to have readily available so that you can replace the negative thinking with the positive one, or better yet scripture. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be hard either, it’s just different, like that sweatshirt we talked about earlier.

Autumn leaves fall away to make way for a new life, new beginnings. We, too, must go through transformations that will bring new growth to our bodies, souls, and spirits.

Change is imminent, so why resist it? Why be frightened of it? Yes, the transition will command us to readjust, but it is invariably worth it. Don’t be afraid of change, instead embrace it gracefully and anticipate the best. Change can be beautiful if we allow it to be. We just need to embrace it.