Monthly Reflections: Embracing Change
Spring into summer, change after change. Managing through change with self-acceptance, playfulness, and an openness to the whole of the human condition.
Late spring always energizes me. I can’t wait for the wilds of summer and yet I also love the full bloom of spring, all that promise. Warmth is in the air, and hope buoys me up. It’s a good time to embrace both the beauty and the inevitability of change.
Which is most excellent for me, because I have a lot of change going on in my life this month, including a new job.
Change can be a challenge for all of us. It takes energy that we don’t always notice is being expended, or that we do notice, but wish could direct towards something else.
Change pushes us past comfort zones and into the new. Sometimes it feels terrible, other times hopeful or beautiful, sometimes it creeps up slowly, or it may take us by surprise, all at once. And on a neurological level, change can activate the brain's threat response system, triggering fear and stress that can hinder adaptation and decision-making, or it may feel like a release or unlock, delivering needed relief.
Yet no matter how change comes, or how it hits, it is as inevitable as spring turning into summer. We will always find ourselves navigating seasons of change.
It's in these seasons that a little messy humaning can come in handy. Self-acceptance, a playful spirit, and a willingness to embrace both the human condition as well as the full bounty of human potential can let us flow through change in style.
Embracing change through the lens of self-acceptance allows us to acknowledge where we are in our journey without judgment or resistance. Like the blooming flowers and budding trees of late spring, we can gracefully accept the changes unfolding within and around us.
By taking a playful lens and handling change lightly, we can let things unfold with curiosity. Play also encourages us to approach change with greater openness, helping us discover joy and creativity even amidst uncertainty. Just as a bud gradually opens into flower, we can nurture ourselves through small, intentional steps towards the transformations we seek.
And honoring the full range of the human condition reminds us of the interconnectedness of all our human experiences. Just as the ecosystem thrives on diversity and cooperation, so too, we may benefit from leaning on our relationships and communities for support during times of change.
As you reflect on your own seasons of change, I invite you to explore the following questions through a spot of writing. Where do these prompts lead you:
In what ways do I easily accept, or even revel, in the changing seasons?
In what ways do I resist or resent seasonal change? How do I get through those inevitable changes, despite not wanting them to occur?
Can these insights into my approach to seasonal change become a metaphor for how I navigate other times of change in my life? Life seasons which perhaps are just as inevitable, but less obviously out of my control?
How might I practice greater self-acceptance in response to any current changes that are not within my control?
Are there changes I’d like to intentionally create in my life? How might I take a small and gentle step in this direction?
What thoughts or activities make me feel lighter and easier? How might I use this insight to help me embrace more curiosity, openness, and hope about the changes in my life?
It is my hope that these reflections bring greater clarity and a gentle self-acceptance in the face of all life may throw your way. Enjoy the spring, turning to summer. Enjoy yourself, allowing the flow of change into your life.
-Marisol