People speak about change in two very contradictory ways. One puts people in the role of victim. “You can’t stop change from happening. You are born, you grow old, then you die.” Which, while true, misses some key facts along the way such as our bodies constantly repairing themselves, sluffing off old cells and building new ones and the fact that while we do this we still manage to hold onto things like scars and birthmarks even though the cells that make them up are replenished hundreds and hundreds of times over the years.
Then there is the other perspective where we are completely in charge of the changes in our lives. “You have the power to be anything that you want to be. All you have to do is imagine it!” Well, and that is partially true in that we self limit by not allowing ourselves to imagine the possible or ofttimes even the probable. But life doesn’t come with a magic wand feature, all fiction and movies to the contrary. If thinking made it so our world would be a crazy place full of contradictory….everything…nothing would make sense and mayhem would ensue. Which at times I find intriguing, but then I have a bit more tea and move on.
Change is neither of these things and both and quite a bit in between them. Change happens. We are neither a victim of it nor its master. We cohabit the Universe which is, to a large extent, a vehicle for and experiment in change. The notable things about the Universe are those that change so little over time that they seem to stand still. And yet I believe the amazingness about everything here is the opportunity for change. The ability to experience it in realtime, to have the chance to open ourselves up to possibilities, to expand ourselves into ‘what if?’ So many people live their lives trying not to change, trying to hold onto what they are in that moment even thought that’s impossible. And that stems from fear, fear of loss, fear of the unknown, fear of the new. But if you realize that you won’t lose who you are when you change, you’ll just become more and better and truer to youself, then you can let go of the fear which is the best change any of us can ever make.