As life speeds up and we appear to have less and less time in our day (or is it that we fill it up with more ‘stuff’) many are struggling with the ever-changing landscape called life.

Life’s journey has many twists and turns, ins and outs, ups and downs – it can bring adventure… or trepidation. In reality, these twists in the road can take us where we have never been before and where we don’t always want to be, often triggering a deluge of fear, worry, anger and resistance. If we know how to flow with them, these ‘interruptions in life’ can be rather interesting and even enjoyable, but instead we often choose to dispute them and struggle with them instead. Adversity is often a catalyst to catapult us out of whatever comfort zone we have so carefully built for ourselves. Seeing this change as a positive or a negative event will determine the ride. How smooth is your current ride in life?

Change brings uncertainty – and uncertainty often brings anxiety, anguish, even hopelessness and despair – easily making us prey to our own doubts. Understanding I have choice based on my inner personal power, I can transform any situation into one of benefit. But I must first be aware of my power and regularly apply it in my life, in order to use these inner tools to my advantage. Time = Change – both are inevitable – suffering however then becomes a choice… Do I practice daily by applying my inner power so that I am ready to face change at any time, or do I bury my head in the sand until adversity makes me look up? In other words, I can still be certain of who I am and what my purpose is – in my home, in my work, in my relationships, in my life – regardless of what’s happening around me. With practice it is absolutely possible for me to remain calm on the inside even if I land in the middle of chaos 🙂

The pain we feel in life is often our own resistance to change. Resisting the constantly powerful flow of life, means to invite complications. If I constantly keep a certain person or situation in my mind, I am having ‘yoga’ with them – I am tying them up in bondage to me, and letting go will proof difficult. Becoming aware of how my own mind works, I understand that I can be a catalyst for change or I can get sucked into it’s powerful rip – either way, change has to happen. If I struggle, I’ll just get dragged out to sea – a scary place to be without a life jacket.

Living a nomadic lifestyle we face change on a daily basis – being self employed and being on the road can pose many challenges – and though our physical landscape may change constantly, we still need to practice letting go in the mind. On one hand we must be organised and prepared for anything, on the other hand we must be totally flexible. One thing I know for sure, wherever you are – you can’t hide from your ‘stuff’, you can’t run from it and you certainly can’t buy your way out of it. Self Respect is the only life jacket I need – it’s a form of taking care of myself. Not regularly exercising my inner power shows disrespect for my self, while my inner gifts lay dormant and dull – I don’t have the courage to face change, I don’t have the power to transform negativity and I don’t even have the strength to step away from it. I’ve taken my life jacket off and I’m drowning.

So what now?… How do we flow with change that seems to creep out of nowhere and slap us in the face?… We need to focus on and strengthen our inner power – every single day. Focusing on what I want (my purpose) and who I truly am, instead of focusing on what i don’t want and who I have become, is how I get there… one tiny baby step at at time 🙂

Question: Do you struggle with change?…

Consideration: Why do think you might resist change?…

Action: At the start of each week, choose one inner quality (virtue) to focus on for that week. Look for opportunities to put it into practice – behave from a platform of that quality when meeting any challenging situation or person. For example – if I choose to practice ‘enthusiasm’ then no matter how much others try to weigh me down, I remain enthusiastic. By focusing on my own quality rather than on the behaviour of others, is how I make through the other side every single time. Accepting others (without condoning their behaviour or becoming the same) means to free myself from the bondage of their negative behaviour. This means, instead of drowning out at sea, I am wearing my life jacket of self respect.