THE ART OF CHANGE

 

It is Autumn...the leaves are changing colors and the days are getting shorter.  The art of change is upon us!

Susan Peabody in "The Art of Changing ~ Your Path to a Better Life", puts it succinctly. "Change is a natural process that can lead to true happiness by helping us reach our full potential.  It is also the answer to solving many of our problems.  Unfortunately, sometimes we are afraid to change. We become creatures of habit.  We find ourselves feeling bored, unsettled, lonely, depressed or out of control." She continues..." the ability to change is something that many people only dream about. It is a commodity often in short supply, and without it life can be anything from boring to tragic." 

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. Why would we want our lives to be boring and potentially tragic?

It's not a big secret. I yearn to change and gain control of my life on my terms.  I, like most I assume, traverse each day on auto pilot...doing what is expected of me, what I have determined I have to do, doing what others want me to do, and the list goes on. But I don't really want to do most of these things.  We become locked into a routine of stifling and suffocating repetition.  And here comes the part where we don't feel fulfilled. The time comes when we have to carve out the life that we want...a better life.

 

I have spent way too much time longing for things that I will never obtain. I too have become a slave to routine. Last week my eyes opened and my soul let me know what I need and must do.

The week was spent in magical Sedona, Arizona. It was a time of reflection and inspiration. In my heart it was the beginning of change for me. It is there that you will find a vortex, several of them, in the canyons of the millions of years old red rocks.  But my vortex was found sitting alone with a friend on a patio at twilight, listening to the most beautiful music coming from  handmade flutes. Music came from the heart of Steve, by way of the flutes, as he opened himself and his heart up to the moment. As the pink tinged clouds signaled the end of another day, a closing and an awakening also presented itself to me. In his music I found peace, longing, and release.  I felt history all around me of Indians from long ago.  I felt the spirit of my grandmother who instilled in me a love of all things Native American and tears rolled down my cheeks.  There was a calm that overcame me, much like a warm blanket of comfort, of knowing, of centering, of arms wrapped around me providing me safety and knowledge. I had a longing for peace like never before. Watching an eagle riding the currents at sunset, I knew at that moment  I had to take back control of my life. 

Later as I was tucked into bed, reality reared its head and it became  all too clear that there are multiple stumbling blocks between me and 'change'. On the positive side, it also became clear that change is that which means we are still growing.  Growing and changing keeps us from getting stuck.  Taking steps to achieve that goal is as Peabody says, "the bridge between your problems and the solutions.  It is your path to a better life." 

I need a more balanced life, as I suspect many of you do.   I found this clear in magical, mystical Sedona when doors opened in me and my heart opened to them. I found I have the capacity to change, which many people only dream about.  But how does one begin to go about this after being trapped for so long.

 

I quote again from Susan Peabody. "The beginning of change is like this.  You do something different and finally something clicks.  It is all very mysterious.  You don't really understand it, but when it happens you know, you immediately open the safe and take out your valuables."  These are valuables that have been locked up for way too long and represent all the things you will become when you change.

 

Over the past few months I have gained many insights and have a confidence that has been lacking. Changes have and are taking place. I have begun to become keenly aware of when I am doing those things I don't want to do.  Panic and exhaustion appear, resulting in negativity, inhibiting change. It is almost a feeling of suffocation.

 

Today I begin. Today I pray for the energy and willingness to take back my life.  Today I begin the change and will surround myself with those who support me and my affirmations. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.