Difficult Changes

This past year has been like no other I have ever experienced.

January 1st 2020,

Who would have believed what was coming?

A global pandemic,

Illness and death,

Restrictions and lockdown,

And now financial recession.

Many people have been struggling with anxiety throughout this year,

Fear of the illness,

Distress at not being able to see loved ones,

Unsettled about being furloughed or unable to go into work,

And now troubled about their future within a financial recession.

And although this year has been unprecedented,

There is one common thread throughout this year,

Through every year preceding it,

And through every single year that is to come.

Everything changes.

Changes inevitable.

Nothing ever stays the same.

In the fantastic book Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson,

We are told a story about two mice and two men who love cheese.

They all live in a maze.

In the maze there is a place where there is a supply of cheese,

But one day they arrive to find there is no cheese left.

The two mice who have noticed the supply of cheese is dwindling head off into the maze to find more cheese,

But the two men become annoyed because they expected everything to be always the same.

No change.

They become angry and begin to place blame because of the unfairness of their situation.

Eventually one of the men decides to go into the maze to try and find new cheese,

But the other one stays put,

Still complaining about his circumstances.

The two mice and one man do find a new place with a good supply of new cheese,

And on his journey the man decides to write on the wall some lessons he has learned for the second man to find.

These are the lessons.

Yes,

These lessons are about cheese,

But I think we can learn a lot from it in our lives.

Take a moment now to think about the changes that have taken place in your life recently that you might not have accepted or adapted well to.

Is it possible that you can view the change as a neutral event?

It's just a happening.

The thing that causes us upset,

Distress and anxiety is our thinking around it.

A quote from the book says,

The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.

Let's take a moment to ponder that.

The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.

There are many things we spend time and energy thinking,

Worrying,

Fearing about that we have no control over,

That we can do nothing about.

So many what ifs.

The Dalai Lama says,

If there is no solution to the problem,

Then don't waste time worrying about it.

You might be thinking,

Well that's easier said than done.

I can't help it.

I can't stop worrying.

I can't stop thinking about it.

Is this the absolute truth?

Is this a fact?

If you haven't done so already,

I invite you to close your eyes if you wish.

Take your attention to your breath for a moment.

Notice your breath in your chest.

The rise and fall of the chest with each inhale and exhale.

You're not changing your breath,

You're just watching it.

It's doing its job without your instruction.

Really observe the expansion of the chest and the ribs on the inhale.

Notice that the back and the shoulders become involved.

They ever so slightly lift.

And on the exhale,

Everything lowers.

The shoulders and the back drop and the chest and the ribs descend.

And now observe the whole body breathing.

What happens within your physical body when you inhale?

What takes part in that inhale of breath?

And on the exhale,

What do you notice?

Keep focus now,

Only on the breath.

If your mind has wandered,

That's okay.

Just bring it back.

Keep focusing on what happens in your physical body with each breath you take.

And then noticing.

Do you notice any softening on the exhale?

Any relaxing?

Now bring to mind one thing that has happened this year that has caused you worry,

Fear,

Anxiety or concern.

Just one thing that has bothered you.

Now as you breathe in,

Say to yourself,

Let.

And as you breathe out,

Say,

Go.

Let.

Go.

Keeping your attention only on the breath and the two words,

Let.

Go.

Continue for a few more breaths.

Continue this practice but slow it right down now.

Maybe you can pause at the end of the inhale.

Let.

Go.

Let.

Go.

Let.

Go.

Let.

Go.

Allow that practice to fall away.

And notice that you are not thinking about your original thought.

This is because you have moved your attention elsewhere.

You moved it to your breath and two little words.

So then it is possible to not dwell on certain things.

It is possible to let thoughts go.

And if the thoughts return as they will,

Then keep on with this practice.

It can be done anywhere at any time.

Just take a few minutes to close your eyes,

Focus on the breath and say the words,

Let.

Go.

In time with your breathing.

It's so accessible for you.

Let's try this again now and we will spend some moments in silence.

And whenever you notice unwanted thoughts or worries,

Then just repeat the words to yourself.

Let.

Go.

Let.

Go.

And now bring your attention back to your body.

Notice any physical sensations.

Do a quick scan around the body to check in with yourself.

Can you hear any sounds outside of your room or inside?

If you are using headphones,

Can you hear your heart pumping the blood around your body?

Become aware of the space around you.

Behind,

At the sides,

Underneath,

Above and in front of where you are right now.

And make any small movements that you might need to.

Slowly,

Carefully moving your head from side to side.

Lifting your shoulders up to your ears and back down again.

Slowly and carefully.

I would like to finish on another quote from the book,

Who Moved My Cheese?

The quicker you let go of old cheese,

The sooner you find new cheese.

When you are ready,

Open your eyes.

Thank you.

Thank you.