Winds of change

If by some chance you’d forgotten that Spring is a time of epic transformation, your itchy, sneezy nose and watery eyes have probably clued you in. Nature is up to all kinds of tricks this time of year, sprouting abundance where there was previously nothing, and filling the world with color, texture and fragrance of all kinds. It’s also time for big changes in our own lives, as from the pre-K to the MBA, classrooms empty out and diplomas materialize. It’s when beginnings reach their end, and become new beginnings again. It’s exciting, and scary, and as the dramatic swings in weather from day to day reveal, also full of uncertainty. But you love uncertainty, right? LOL…<<sigh>>…

Change can be really exciting. Who wants the same thing to happen all the time, forever and ever? Our brains are wired to appreciate novelty, so we are drawn to new things, spaces and opportunities almost instinctively. Once we get there, or even close to there, our responses may vary, though. Some of us continue to be intrigued, while others start to feel the need to pump the brakes, or maybe even fully shift into reverse. All of a sudden, the comfortable and familiar seems just fine, thanks. Why rock the boat?

Coupla reasons, though…1) Because rocking the boat is inevitable. Change is coming, at some point or another, so you might as well get involved and make some effort to drive it. 2) Because growth is a form of change. And you want to keep getting better, don’t you? I know you do. I want that for you, too.

By now, you know the deal with mindfulness. It helps calm you down when anxiety spikes, but it also connects you to the present moment. It teaches you that uncertainty – which is uncomfortable – is survivable. It equips you to ride the wave, instead of lamenting the choppiness of the surf. It helps you find the stillness within that allows you to see chaos as simply transformation, and to embrace even the murkiest uncertainty as a sign of the gift of growth.

Take a breath (in between sneezes), and take a look around you. Those branches were bare merely weeks ago. Those birds were far away. That air on your skin wasn’t nearly as warm and gentle. All of this beauty came only through the winds of change, though, and even the most watery of eyes can appreciate the results of seeing that process through.

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and beautiful at the end.” – Robin Sharma

Photo credit: Tai Jyun Chang