Everything changes. This is the answer given by Suzuki Roshi, popular 21st Century Zen monk and teacher when asked to explain Buddhism in a nutshell. However, could this be the single phrase that sums up life itself?
How our minds struggle with the concept and experience of change, even though in Eastern philosophies the law of impermanence is pretty much ingrained into the psyche from birth. For most of us, as we are born, we are immediately programmed with a myriad of belief systems, patterns and conditioning that are not always supportive of our growth. It is only once we have lived through enough of life, that we slowly – or for some at lightning speed – drop the baggage of these flawed beliefs and behaviours and start breaking through these conditioned realities and begin to awaken to a different way of being.
Have you noticed that the things you are the most resistant to changing are the very things that are actually needed for your own evolution? We really are very good at finding every excuse in the book as to why we can’t get to gym or send a cv or break up with our partner today. We tend towards the ‘tomorrow first thing’ mentality. Why do we procrastinate when we have bad habits that need changing, but expect our partners and other people to change their habits with ease and grace? It’s always tomorrow and it’s always easier for others, but who are we really fooling here…
We only seem to cry to the heavens for change when we find ourselves in bad situations with bad people and plans, but what about when things are seemingly going well? Do we welcome change then? Do we not secretly beg the gods to let us remain in happiness and comfort forever?
If, according to research, our bodies and biology are being replaced and renewed daily, then wouldn’t we need to ‘upgrade’ our emotional and spiritual cells and psyches regularly too? By cleaning out our outdated beliefs and values, we are upgrading our consciousness and, in that way, setting ourselves up for healthier, happier experiences. And not just at a physical level, but at every level of our lives.
When we upgrade our consciousness, it usually seems like nothing in our outer world changes for a while and then like the seasons sneaking up on us, we wake up one morning and the things that used to cause us suffering and anxiety no longer do. And it is not because the difficult situations or people disappear, it’s because we have let the work of change and reinvention reform our inner landscapes.
Elevating your consciousness looks something like this – you stop nagging your partner to go on diet and instead continue making healthy nourishing food choices for yourself. You stop wishing for your boss to treat you like an equal and start treating yourself like one instead. You let your mom give you their opinion, and you simply listen and thank them for trying to help you, instead of the usual eye rolling involved.
On the day when we start to awaken and realise that we can re-invent ourselves at any stage of life, that is the day when we discover the gifts of change and impermanence. The day when we are not beholden to our mistakes and misfortunes for all eternity. The day we realise we are both the garden and the gardener and we get to choose.
We really are changing, evolving, and growing beings. It is only our innate nature that is constant, just like Spring following Winter is constant. The difference is that the quality and experience of each Spring is different to the last. Our teenage Spring of blossoming into young women and men are very different to our early adult Spring of blooming in the workplace. The mindset we have as we enter a marriage or relationship full of Summer hope and enthusiasm changes with every anniversary of Winter’s dirty laundry on the floor.
We could contemplate the topic of change for a lifetime and still not understand the wise mystery of impermanence. While most of us want to push the river and force the changes to happen, we often have to let them happen organically and delicately like the cycles of nature itself.
Though our essence may remain the same throughout our lifetime, our bodies, tastes, relationships, preferences, belief systems and values can and do change. It is only a matter of how we choose to welcome change as a guest at our table that is critical to our well-being and peace of mind.
For me choosing to view change as evolution helps me, especially on those days when I am fussing and fighting against it and locking all the doors so it can’t find me. If I can allow myself the space to see that all is as it should be, that change is the springboard for my growth, then I can find peace in the difficulty of uncertainty and unpredictability. Then I can unlock the door, put the kettle on and befriend impermanence like the warmth of a good cup of tea.
Everything changes. Simple and sagacious words. And thankfully, that changes everything.
Nadine
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Nadine is a down to earth writer, speaker, spiritual mentor and advisor & entrepreneur.
She is a compassionate claircognizant and part of her purpose is to shift patterns and awaken consciousness by fusing Eastern and Western ancient wisdom teachings from across the globe. She also integrates a diverse range of healing modalities in her sessions, workshops and retreats.
Nadine believes just like the seasons we are not static creatures and the very nature of our beings is to continue evolving.
Connect with her at [email protected] or Facebook Page Global Gypsey Events
Author: Spirit Connection
Spirit Connection is an online platform to facilitate connecting light workers with people seeking their help.
