Friday, August 17, 2007

Hosts of Change

Explore... and suddenly you are a pioneer on a new frontier.

“Insight into change teaches us to embrace our experiences without clinging to them — in full knowledge that we will soon have to let them go to embrace whatever comes next.” - Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Change. It’s the one thing we know that remains constant.
Recently, someone pointed out to me she feels like “a constant caterpillar molting to an ever – larger butterfly”. What is life, if nothing but an ongoing series of transitions? Even during the most mundane periods of our lives, we are riding the steady flow of change.

Change can find it’s way into our daily lives in all forms - mood, health, relationships. It can be as obvious as a death, a marriage, a divorce or your child leaving for their freshman year in college; or, as simple as noticing your digital clock tick from 11:10 to 11:11. It can be big or small. It can sooth us or excite us. It can come unexpectedly or sit looming just over our shoulder. The question is: how are we dealing with it?

No doubt change can sometimes feel stressful, but like it or not, it’s ours to own, and so we can welcome it or resist it. But, in resisting, we deny ourselves the very opportunity to observe the beauty of our growth that comes with it every time. By not labeling change as good or bad we have a healthier chance of surviving it. By merely being curious enough to explore it and welcome it, we can learn to be gracious hosts to this permanent houseguest.

Blessings and light!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Change. It is good, refreshing and challenging. One may grow, or one may not, a gamble of life.

TM said...

Another great post. Change that is thrust upon us is as valuable as change we ourselves provoke...it's just a bit more difficult to embrace.