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.
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