“Change is the only thing that is constant in life.”
We, as humans, undergo changes in our day-to-day lives. We experience change as a moment of unsettling and transition into something new. The intensity of change could be a major one whereby we undergo structural and systemic change transforming from one phase of life to another. This pushes us out from a static state of existence to a dynamic ever-changing being. We do feel a certain level of discomfort while going through these transitions, but having faith and hope in our hearts does make a great difference.
Let's take a moment to consider the underlying reasons why a change might be uncomfortable. Changes can represent transience and mortality. One significant transition in human existence that we all go through is death. Every change is a small death in itself, whereby the old dies and the new is born. As humans, we have a tendency to cling to life and have attachment to the existing state, I suppose this is one of the root causes why changes may feel uncomfortable. It erodes our attachment to the current state. It impels us to come out of the solid state of being into a fluid, flowing condition. The need to adjust, expand and reorient surfaces. We do have some doubts in our hearts about the future status and whether there will be a scope for improvement. We experience the turbulent emotions of fear, anxiety, and sadness as a resistance towards transition. We may feel unnerved and destabilized.
How to navigate the process of transition with peace and inner comfort? We should try and anchor our hearts to something that is beyond the realm of change. Something that can provide us an everlasting support.
What could be that? The answer to this question would be in accordance to our beliefs and faith. It could be divine, god, spiritual master, angels, ancestors etc. It depends on our individual convictions. It must be something that is above the fleeting and finite nature of the earth, being of the nature of the spirit. We may feel more stable in the face of external changes if we take some time to meditate and establish a connection with our inner heart. We will feel a sense of safety and calmness when we get anchored to our faith. Changes also enable us to develop a deep faith in our eternal anchor and adapt to the ephemeral with serenity. The eternal anchor would give us a stable base that would protect our inner peace amidst external transitions.
Thus, we shall sail smoothly through these waves of change in the sea of life.
The image below depicts the transformation of a caterpillar into a stunning butterfly. In this period of transition, nature appears to be doing magic.
The magic of nature. |
Read the three previous articles on this blog:
Boundaries: An act of self-love, Part 2
Boundaries, an act of self-love
Meditation commentary