So many people have a fear of change: changing jobs, changing relationships, changing cell phones, changing lanes…..
The good news is, we are all born with only two fears: the fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. These are quite obviously for our protection. That being said, ALL the other fears are learned. And whatever is learned, can be un-learned.
So you learned (were taught) how to be afraid of riding a bike, giving a speech, auditioning, etc.
My take on all this is that change does not have to be hard and scary, as many believe. I believe it can be creative and actually fun! You can embrace CHANGE:
Control/Choice: Jung said: “What we resist, persists.” Therefore, if you resist change, it will only be more overwhelming. I always say, “Change is inevitable: we must either effect it or accept it.” By effecting it or accepting change, you are “making friends with it” versus resisting it. Remember you always have a choice. If you begin to think of all change as making or receiving a new choice, it may feel more natural and within your own control.
Health: Our greatest resource. Enhancing your health enhances our adaptability to change. Will being healthier, fitter make your problems go away? Of course not, but you will be much abler to solve them and feel better about yourself while you do.
Attitude/Action: The late psychiatrist/author/Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl stated: “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” Simply asking yourself “What is good about this situation?” especially during a challenge, will allow you to tap into your creativity, get into action to resolve the situation positively, and decrease your upset or resistance.
Novelty: We are novelty-seeking creatures by nature, some more than others. It is easy to see this in our tastes in food, entertainment, movies, fashion, etc. In these realms, and more, we readily see that we LOVE change. If we did not naturally crave some degree of change, we would never experience boredom….only safety and security.
Growth/Goals: Every living organism is growing: positively or negatively (resistance/abuse/entropy). Goals allow us to control our positive growth and enjoy the path.
Expression: We are all dynamic, multi-faceted creatures. As you continually set and attain goals, you are ever-exploring and unleashing your unique self-expression.
Read more posts by Nancy Irwin here. Nancy is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire.
