The challenge that most people face is a fear of change. It’s very common to be comfortable with our lives and routines. Then, all of a sudden, something changes: unemployment, a break up in relationships, or just the constant pressure of inflation or politics. We spend a bunch of time and energy trying to figure out “why” it’s happening. We play the situation back in our minds, worrying, wondering what we could have done differently or what we did to deserve this run of bad luck. Left to our own devices, we can become the victim of an anxiety spiral.
There is something we need to understand called the “law of impermanence.” It is often associated with a Buddhist philosophy that states that things are in a constant state of change…nothing is permanent! Once we understand this, we can begin to regain control of the situation and our lives.
It’s not surprising that many people fear change. One of my favorite books that discusses change management is “Who moved my Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. If you don’t want to read the book, there is a very good animated summary on Youtube. But recognizing that change is inevitable can lead to better acceptance of life’s cyclical “ups and downs.”
If we become proactive and plan on change, we can set ourselves up to get ahead in life and grow personally. Situational analysis is a great way to help us understand the current circumstances we are dealing with. If we can begin to recognize patterns from the past, we gain power over our thoughts. And this will allow us to use those patterns to forecast future trends. Now we are in a position to create NEW patterns. In other words we are ready to PIVOT.
Support can come from communicating our concerns, thoughts and ideas to others. This can give us the feedback to know that we are heading in the right direction (instead of down an emotional rabbit hole!) If you have a specific situation you would like me to address, drop me an email and I will respond in a future blog.
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