Change Is Coming

-Devlyn Steele

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them, that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
-Lao Tzu

Sometimes when you reach a corner you have a choice of which way to go, other times you have to move with the direction of the traffic. Either way, choice or no choice there are directions that you can and cannot go.  Choices you do not have are to stand still and stay where you are, or to try and go backwards. You have to keep moving forward with the changes life presents. That is one rule of life that you cannot change, the rule of change. Life no matter what is always changing, as change is certain.

However, we all do not embrace change well. We instead use our energy trying to avoid change. Still, things no matter what we do change. We try at times to fight  to get back to where we once were or desperately try to hang on to where we are. We fight and fight, and yet change still happens. I can understand why, after all things might be pretty good or comfortable where you are now, or they might have been much better where you once were.

Change certainly does not mean always better. As we age our bodies might not be what they once were. Our finances, relationships, health, happiness and so much more might not be changing for the better. Even still, change is a constant certain. Knowing that change is not always for the better and not knowing what will be the result of change creates fear, stress and anxiety. What if the change is not better, what then? No matter what change is still happening.

How can you deal with what we perceive as the stress of change? I love an analogy of life as a flowing river used in Taoism. In ancient times the philosophy named Taoism was founded by Lao Tzu. Much of the philosophy was conceived as developing a point of view to live without stress. The meaning of Tao is "Way" representing what is considered the Great Way of how the universe works. Often the Tao or the way is refereed to as the river of life. As you experience the river it has many different flows; slow, fast strong, gentle, crashing waterfalls, deep, shallow and more. It will sometimes have rocks that you can crash into and other times be clear. The river though is always flowing.

Even though we cannot see the river we are aware of it as it is always there as an an undercurrent moving life along. Since we are unsure where it might go, we try and stop it from taking us. We grab on to a branch along the riverbank and try and hang on to where we are. The river and it's power beats against our body and even Hercules could not hang on. Eventually you have to let go and when you do you have used all your energy and cannot navigate the river and the result can be crashing into the rocks.

Instead of trying to hang on to the riverbank, embrace the river and think of yourself as a swimmer. The better swimmer you become the more influence you will have over how you move forward with the flow of the river and how you experience the journey. However, even if you were Michael Phelps, trying to turn around and swim against the current, you again would get worn out and once again lose your ability to navigate the river.

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
-Lao Tzu

Rather than  focusing your energy on staying where you are or getting back to where you once were, focus on where you can go from where you are. Whether the change is good or bad, change is coming. Some change you can help direct and other change is beyond you, still change is coming. Rather than wasting your energy trying to avoid change, learn to embrace change. Use your energy to navigate the changes and to move forward with the best results and find appreciation where ever you are in your journey.  In the end, the journey is all we have and the journey is not forever.