Week of September 19th

Change

For many of us, change is challenging. We want things to stay the same, particularly when the conditions are in our favor. We like predictability, so much so that we’d prefer being stuck in unhealthy relationships so long as these people are familiar to us (see the familiarity principle or mere-exposure effect).

            Change is the idea of novelty, the idea that something doesn’t remain the same, that nothing is inherently permanent. The reason why we find change so scary and anxiety-provoking is that we simply don’t know and hence, cannot prepare for what is yet to come. If we had some validity in anticipating accurately change and its consequences, maybe that heartbreak of loss wouldn’t feel so painful. Maybe that feeling of missed opportunity wouldn’t make us feel so empty. Maybe our thought patterns surrounding the extremes (“I shouldn’t have done that, it’ll never be okay”) wouldn’t sting so strongly.

The truth of the matter is that we are constantly exposed to and practicing change. Some of us, without being aware of it, may be experts at change. Every day our bodies replace billions of cells. The values of stocks incessantly alter along with the market. An ice cube melting in the palm of your hand with every passing second changes. The human population, our breath, literally every existing thing changes. There is not one thing that is unsusceptible to change. Even as you’re reading this, your perception and beliefs about change may have changed.

We think that we know so little about change because of our stronghold resistance. But every day, every moment, is an opportunity to practice embracing change. Why hold onto fighting against change when you know it is an inevitable phenomena. Bring mindful awareness to what you’ve been practicing all along. Keep going.

 

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Baked Salmon with Mustard Glaze, Favorite Fall Salad, Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

 

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