Everything is changing all the time, nothing is permanent. Even if we attempt to take action to keep things the way they are, everything else around us is changing and we are in relationship to everything around us. Time is still passing. We will change. We are changing.
This can be scary, amazing or anything in between depending on how we choose to approach it.
If we are scared of change, we can get caught up in feeling anxious over things we cannot control. There seems to be an anxiety epidemic these days and it is not healthy or sustainable. We can get caught up in worry and operate from a fear-based approach to life. Very rarely does this approach help us avoid anything negative or respond to it in a productive way. And it does not stop change.
Change can be amazing when we see the opportunity in it. To be intentional about change is to not try to control it or avoid it, but rather to embrace that we still have the opportunity to choose how we approach it. This is where we can find freedom and even come to love change. To be intentional about change is to transform.
This starts within. That is the place where we are empowered. It is a choice to be and become a person who can respond to and adapt to change in a healthy, heart-centered way. From this foundation, we not only respond to change, but we also influence change in a positive, proactive way.
There are a number of ways to influence and participate in positive change. Not everyone needs to be constantly "doing," We are human "beings" after all. So how do we want to be in the world and why is it important to consider this?
It is important because the process of change starts with awareness. You cannot consciously work with something of which you are not aware. You have to be aware of it to then understand it. It is also important because there are infinite ways to be consciously involved in creating positive change.
Sometimes we are called to be the doers. We truly do need people who have an idea and are actively pursuing it. These people are leading the way, they are in the trenches, they are creating and influencing. On the opposite end, it is unproductive to be apathetic, judgmental or jealous of these people.
Just as important are the supporters... this is not a passive role, it is just different. If we are not actively pursuing a change, we can and should support those who are. Support can come in a number of different ways; through encouragement, spreading the word, financially, emotionally, socially. If change makes us anxious, the best course of action is to be of service and participate in a community.
It is important to have those of us on the receiving end as well, appreciating and playing with the change that is being put out there, reacting to it, building on it. This can, in turn, be inspirational for the next wave of doers. This role can help draw our awareness of what turns us off and on and what we might like to create ourselves.
There are as many possible ways to participate as there are individuals in the world. We are all unique. We also are a team and we all have a role to play in creating a meaningful life as a global community, riding the waves of change together and navigating them. And it starts with self-awareness and intentional focus.
We are changing. We will change. We have the opportunity to bring the best version of ourselves to the table. And we have each other.