Change...it's not what you thought

I have people coming to me all the time seeking change. Ask a room full of people, "who wants to change", and you'll get a show of hands. Ask, "who is willing to change, and do the hard work?", and well...

Change is hard, period. If it were easy we'd all be happy, healthy, etc. Change requires integration. Integration of our past, which sometimes includes unhealthy beliefs, behaviors and emotions. Integration of our soul with our body, emotions and mind.

What does that mean, integration with our body. We're here. We're alive. What is there to integrate? What does integration even mean? I believe each one of us came here with a purpose, and to fulfill that purpose we have to remember who we are, and to remember who we are we have to forget what we've been told!

Regardless of what level you're dealing with, what issue you are working on, it all takes time, patience, acceptance, and kindness. Whatever change you make, however small, will make a difference in every other aspect of your life...so that's cool.

So. I want to send a shout out to all of you, regardless of what you're going through, what "change" you're making, what your beliefs are.

Love to you...Be kind to yourself, and enjoy the journey.

STOP working so hard, and try BEING

On the path of growth there have been many times I have found myself working hard. Change is hard work. It takes commitment, fortitude, time, intention.

There have been times I have worked when I needed to let go, our just "be", however. That's a tough one for me and for many of us. Finding peace or quiet within the storm. Not thinking I have to do it all myself, like it's all on my shoulders.

I remember when I decided to let go of my anger towards my father. It was a conscious decision I made because I wanted greater healing and peace in my life. This brought forth a lot of my unresolved issues with him and gave me the opportunity to deal with them. My approach to healing at the time was similar to what it had been during my time of illness, to approach it with gusto, to work hard, breathe hard, stomp my feet hard, process hard.

I've since learned how to "be" more, which is a learned skill, but one anyone can do, which is to just notice the feelings and thoughts as they come up. Instead of engaging with them, I have taught myself to relax and breathe, allowing the feelings to just flow, and the thoughts to just come and go.

There are times I still struggle, and like everyone still have triggers. One has been about food. I don't like people talking "badly" about food, especially when I'm eating it. Sometimes I would say this, at other times I would find myself sitting down to eat again afterwards faced with a battle going on in my mind. I would be confronted with this individual whom I had to convince of my beliefs, or otherwise feel invisible. And so at times I found myself working hard, when in fact there is no one to convince, no one to fight, to defend myself against; just an opinion, someone's thought, and I'm just left fighting with myself.

Just "be".