As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, said, "The only constant in life is change." So why do so many people fear change?
Change can mean diving deep into the unknown. It can be intimidating and feel scary. Plus, if you are already an anxious person, or already have a lot of moving parts in your life, change can be very overwhelming.
While all of the above are true, back to what Heraclitus said, it's an inevitable part of our lives. Not only are we guaranteed to experience change, but it's actually critical for us to move through resistance in our lives, and into a state of flow (see last week's article, Finding Your Flow).
The definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over again and expecting a different result, right?
So, when you feel stuck, naturally something needs to change in order for you to move forward. To do this, you need to bring awareness to those actions that are on repeat and make a choice on where you want to make an adjustment to your life.
Keep in mind that almost all of your actions are based on your subconscious thoughts and beliefs. We have to figure out which of those you have outgrown and are no longer aligned to your wants and desires, then look at the next logical step to move in a different direction.
Let's take your job as an example. Imagine you're working at a job that maybe a few years ago was a good fit and fulfilled the need of a steady paycheck, but over the years the circumstances have changed. Maybe you don't care for your boss or co-workers, you're not being compensated fairly, or you just don't find joy in the job itself -- but for some reason you stay in this job way longer than you should.
Why? Because you're repeating patterns of the subconscious. In some ways, working at this company, doing this job, interacting with these people everyday have all become a part of your narrative. When you can take a step back and look at the big picture, you can really see how out of alignment staying at this job truly is.
What's next? The scary part. Change.
Your mind might jump to a million places from here -- what will I do? What if I don't make as much money as I do at this job? I feel bad leaving my boss/co-workers. What if at the next job I'm just as miserable? The job market is terrible, what would I even do next?
Forget it! This is familiar, I am just going to stay here.
And the cycle repeats.
How can you embrace the change?
Self-Monitoring. First, just get comfortable with bringing awareness to your habits. This in itself is a great way to begin to change the way you think, which will naturally affect your emotions and behaviors.
Reflection. Think about what you truly want. Question your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Go back to last week's article, Finding Your Flow, for some more tips on this.
Small Changes. Instead of making big, drastic changes (like quitting your job), start small. What's the next logical step you can take that doesn't feel overwhelming? In the example above, that might mean journaling about your dream job, starting a job search, or even brushing up your resume.
Not very many people can do this alone -- myself included!
Need someone to hold space for you as you learn how to uncover and work with these hidden aspects of yourself? Check out how the Raise Your Vibration Membership Program can support you.
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