Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room : Navigating the Turbulent Seas of Change

CHANGE...Funny how this little word makes a lot of us cringe! Granted, there are a few of you out there who have somehow learned to automatically welcome change and immediately become excited when it arrives at your door. For the rest of us, though, it's not that easy!

Let's face it, periodic changes in our lives are unavoidable. Try as we might, we cannot out run change. I am fond of saying, "The Universe will whisper in our ear when it wants us to seek change. If we don't listen, it will tap us on the shoulder to get our attention. If we continue to ignore the signs we are getting it will cuff us upside the head....and if we still refuse to budge it will knock the legs right out from underneath us so that we have no choice but face the needed change." I've spent most of my life dragging this scenario out until I was knocked to the floor. Always under the guise of "never give up or give in!"

Case in point, I had a job that was not serving me physically, spiritually or financially but I was so comfortable in my role I refused to seek a new career. The Universe started showing me in subtle ways (the 'whisper') by presenting financial challenges that I could not meet on my own with my current wage. My answer? Borrow...get someone else to help me through or simply go without things I needed or wanted. So, like a stubborn child, I needed a little tap or 'cuff' on the head to get me moving...this presented itself as an on-the-job-injury. Did I seek the change then? Nope, I had the surgery and did my best to recover and back to the same job I went. This time I let myself take on feelings of guilt for even thinking about leaving this job when my employers were so generous and helpful when I hurt myself. After all, they counted on me a great deal and wouldn't I be ungrateful to simply leave them high and dry? The Universe's response to this? Re-injure the same wound. I was then literally forced off the job and had to strike out on my own and break into a brand new career that I knew absolutely nothing about. Scary!

Looking at my back-trail, I can clearly see how this change was needed and, as is always the case, led me to things even more wonderful and fulfilling over time and also taught me all sorts of things about my own inner strength and abilities to adapt to sudden change. It would serve us all well to understand how these things work. Weather it's a relationship break-up, loss of a job, or a home, I can assure you that if you allow it, the change it brings will open new doors of opportunity for you that you can be grateful for.

But what if we DO find ourselves trying to swim in the turbulent seas of a change that shows up with trauma and drama? Even the most emotionally strong and well-balanced of us can come unglued when change comes in the form of a seemingly traumatic event. I think in this case, it's important to just BE for a little while. Once in that kind of vibration where we feel like our life is spinning out of control and we are drowning with no land in sight, it is probably a good idea to simply tread water for a little while. Just rest and look around you. Don't feel like you have to solve all your perceived problems and get to the other side of your particular change all at once.

By taking a little time to ourselves after a traumatic event or a life-changing drama, we are able to slow things down enough to benefit from a little self-care. This will not only serve to help us heal from what has transpired but will bring us a clearer head so that we can see what our next steps should be. In this way, our journey forward becomes a little easier to navigate and we avoid the 'out-of-the-fire-and-into-the-frying pan' syndrome!

So wouldn't it be easier to listen to that 'whisper' when it comes? Seek to make the change sooner rather than later? I could have avoided a lot of trauma and drama in the form of surgeries and on-going medical care for years had I simply responded to that little whisper. I know, I know, easier said than done as most of us have not honed our listening skills! I'd like to think that by now, I am at least responding when I get the cuff upside my head and no longer waiting until I get knocked down!

Meanwhile....I am listening and feel that BIG changes are coming my way. Does it make me uncomfortable? You bet! But honestly, how many of us would actually seek change if we felt all comfy and cozy where we currently are in life? It IS that uncomfortable feeling that the Universe presents as its first whisper...the question is, how uncomfortable am I willing to get before I stop resisting and make the changes that are calling to me at this time? We shall see....

Safe Journey!
Vicky