For many of us,
Change is the enemy.
It's an element of chaos that threatens to interrupt our present moment.
We often fear change because it brings with it the unknown.
It is true that we may not know the end result of each change,
But we do know change.
And until we make friends with change,
We will not find peace.
Charles Darwin said,
It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
Nor the most intelligent,
But the one most responsive to change.
Darwin talked about surviving.
I'm talking about thriving.
Those who thrive amidst change are those who can balance their fear of the unknown with their hope in something to come.
This hope can be placed in a higher power,
A sense of purpose,
Or even yourself.
You can hope in your own ability to thrive in whatever new circumstance you find yourself.
You've done it before.
You can do it again.
Often we're afraid of change because of what we might lose.
We're afraid that change means a loss of stability,
Of routine,
And possibly of people or things we love.
I'm reminded here of what Anne Morrow Lindbergh said about the changes in our lives,
The ebbs and flows of our fortunes.
She said,
We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life.
We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb.
We are afraid it will never return.
We insist on permanency,
On duration,
On continuity,
When the only continuity possible,
In life as in love,
Is in growth,
In fluidity,
In freedom.
So how do we learn to appreciate the ebbs in our lives?
We need to see and value what is left when the tide recedes.
Lindbergh calls this a secret kingdom at the bottom of the sea.
It's a rich display of life that was unseen when it was covered by the water.
Sand dollars,
Shimmering shells,
Clams and other sea creatures giving energy and purpose to the muddy seabed.
We can learn to see this beauty in our own ebbs tides by switching our focus away from what's missing and looking closely at what is present.
Lindbergh reminds us that truly,
Each cycle of the tide is valid.
Each cycle of the wave is valid.
Change is not something to be feared but to be anticipated.
We can both grieve what is lost and embrace what is to come in the same moment.
And we can make friends with the powerful forces that move us in new ways towards new ends.
And we can find peace in change.
Be well my friends.
You are loved.
