The resistance to change, whether conscious or not, is at the deepest level a fear of death.
In order for anything new to come into life, something needs to die; and this terrifies us. We are built to survive. It goes against our DNA. So what do we do? We make excuses, tell ourselves that we are stuck, that it’s impossible, but really it is the deep, gnawing, and mostly unconscious fear that we will lose something precious that keeps us from evolving.
If we consciously look at everything around us, we will find that all is in a constant cycle of death and rebirth. At first glance it may seem like nothing changes, but this is an illusion. Our cells for instance are constantly dying and being reborn. The skin you see today will be completely new in about a month. The content of the air you breathe changes. Your dog sheds and grows new fur. Your relationships are different because the people in it change. Thoughts are born and they die, as does the wind, the tide, the day and night. The only thing that doesn’t change is change.
The problem arises when we attempt to keep things as they are, either because we do not want change or because subconsciously we are afraid of it. Trying to keep the status quo not only goes against the nature of life, it is an exhausting, losing battle. It is impossible.
The key is to embrace the flow of life. Contemplate on the fact that everything is always changing. You have no control over this. You cannot predict what the future holds. You cannot change this. Now take a deep breath, and stay with me on this one.
You cannot stop the flow of life, but you can decide to trust, hop on, steer in the direction you want to go and enjoy the ride.
Your life is going to change. No question about it. It is up to you to decide how you will experience it. Will it be scary and unsettling or will you free your mind and see it as an adventure waiting to be discovered? You get to choose.
