Image by Gerd Altmann
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.
-- Walter Anderson
It is true that change is the only constant. You cannot stop it or interfere with it. It is ongoing and occurring every minute all the time. What you can do is learn to deal with it appropriately so that you are not creating anxiety around change. You can learn to flow with it.
Psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has termed the sense of rhythm (when we follow our heart or intuition) flow. It also applies when we are doing what we love, what synchronizes with who we are, we are in rhythm and flow. He thinks of it as being in a zone where the person is totally absorbed in what he is doing, completely involved in the activity for its own sake, each thought and activity naturally proceeds from the previous one. Your whole being is involved and you are using your abilities to the utmost. We can use change in this way—as a moment shifting us step by step to our right place and correct endeavor.
Think of all the ways we accept change. Day turns to evening and then to night. Stars and planets that were previously invisible, pop out in a diamond studded sky. Spring blossoms to life, then morphs to the busyness of Summer. Fall arrives with a sense of slowing down, nesting, and is followed by Winter’s stillness. Plant life that vibrantly blossomed forth with brilliant arrays of color gently succumb to the slumber of Fall and dormancy of Winter.
Work that inspired may fade so that you can graduate to the next experience and challenge. Relationships that were once vital pass away to make room for others that fit the current patterns of the life you live. We are always in motion.
Life is a great adventure and each person fulfills a mission as he navigates through a variety of experiences. Each is unique in his manner of processing and growing.
Motion is the power and instrument that makes this forward movement possible. Motion is a force that is not limited to the actions of a physical universe. It is also working from the level of thought, emotion, and spirit.
There is a fluidity about motion and change. You can see it easily as day passes into night or spring to summer. Yet it also presents in every other circumstance. You meet a person and there is an energy exchange which opens up a new possibility, which then sets up new circumstances that touches other lives and leads to movement in home, career, hobbies, community, and an even larger stage of exchange. You might complete an experience (a job or career) and become dormant in expressing a talent only to awaken to a completely new proficiency at a later date.
With Each Change, We Grow
Change is a local symptom of a larger pattern of motion that is passing through your life, experience, and consciousness. We are ever growing with each change. Yet many people fear change. They believe they can control circumstances and never change. However, evolution and movement are the natural things of life.
In this section we encourage surrender to change. Not in a way of helplessness or powerlessness, but in a cooperative effort, in a way to agree with movement toward the next step life offers, thus progressing along the path.
Whenever we are in battle with something, there is stress, and stress leads to anxiety. Nonetheless, when we step back to recognize that change is ongoing and natural, we give up the need to stand stagnant and obstruct movement. We are in the earth to advance our capabilities, to grow in resilience, understanding and compassion. Change is the vehicle through which growth happens.
When you become fixated with control and dominance, you can easily stymy personal progress. When you change as a result of restlessness, boredom, or fear, you may very well push forward out of rhythm, right timing, and what is to be.
Making Peace with Change
What we seek is to make peace with change, to appreciate movement, and evolution. In other words, there is no standing still—you move, or life moves you. I’ve heard many people admit that they hated their jobs and were waiting to retire. They were basically living in fear and stress every day.
The problem with such thinking is that if you are not in the right place (and work) and are unwilling to do something about it, the universe takes over and the job goes away, the company is bought, and your job eliminated, you are down-sized, or fired for some reason or other. In other words, you cannot remain in an inharmonious situation. If it does not fit with the natural harmony of the universe, it will end.
Your choice is to end it or be the victim of another kind of conclusion. As you adjust and cooperate with change as a natural phenomenon, you will be at peace and anxiety will not be problem. You change anxiety into excitement and flow with change. Everything in good time. Find the rhythm and flow with it. Wholeness is achieved by going with the flow.
Open to Possibilities
Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. -- Mark Victor Hansen
Are you feeling stuck in your career, relationship, or some part of your life? If so, the question to ask is, what have I been focused on? In other words, if your mental, emotional focus is on how bad things are, that will continue to be your situation. If your attention is focused on how you’ve been wronged or unappreciated, you will continue to find yourself in similar situations. Or perhaps, your attention has been concentrated on opportunity, and the myriad ways to express and expand yourself. Guess what, that is what will show up in your life.
The truth is there are numerous opportunities to share, express, be active, have fun, make friends, start a new career, volunteer, or do anything else you want. The only limitation is YOU. As Albert Einstein said, You are only limited by your imagination.
Two Questions to Ask Yourself
* What are you allowing in your life?
* Where are you focusing your attention?
Asking these questions and giving yourself time to answer them, will help you learn much and have the information you need to make wonderful changes.
There was a young man who held a high position at Microsoft. On his vacation he decided to hike through Peru. On his journey he came across a school where the children were eager to learn but had no books. He felt drawn to help them, and after getting all his friends to supply books, he determined to start a charity to assist children in poor areas have the educational tools they needed. As it turned out, he LOVED helping kids and followed his initial approach by creating a foundation to do just that, and his focus became a new career path for him.
Life is chocked full of possibilities, but you must be open to see and connect with them. If you are safe in your little comfort-cocoon, don’t be shocked if nothing changes. People will complain I don’t like change. I’m uncomfortable with it.
Guess what! Everything is changing all the time—so, get comfortable with it. Change is the order of the day. You can resist, but you will not come out on top!
Option: Make Life An Adventure!
Every time you confront a new experience or a new person, reach out and ask yourself, what can I learn from this? How is this to expand me—my skills, knowledge, expression, and fun! Then embrace it for the opportunity it offers.
If you are feeling stuck in any part of your life, there are steps you can take to get moving. In this example, I am focusing on career or work, but be aware that these steps apply to every parts of your life… relationships, friendship, abundance, health, fun—everything!
As Helen Keller put it: “Life is either an exciting adventure or nothing at all.”
If your career generates anxiety and stress for you., you may need to make a change. If so, consider these steps to connect with a career that fits your personality and natural inclinations.
Steps:
- Make a list of all your talents and abilities. Everything you've ever been good at. (Nurturing, organizing, connecting with people, baking a cake, selling an idea, climbing trees, giving orders, cleaning houses, technology, bossing people around, etc.)
- Now, set the list aside—that list was for your analytical mind to recognize that you are multi-talented. You are setting it aside because it is time to let go of analysis, figuring things out, reasoning, and doing what you already know how to do. In this process you are opening your mind to the field of potentials and possibilities that can put these amazing talents to work in interesting and unique ways—perhaps ways you have never considered. In other words, as you set your list aside, you are getting your small (unimaginative) self out of the way so your greater mind can work.
- Next, sit in a quiet place without distractions and pretend a door is opening to Spirit. You can imagine this door at your heart or your forehead (third eye). You are opening to the field of pure potentiality and limitless possibilities. To do this pretend you are in space—like an astronaut. You are not tethered or identified with any THING. Floating—in space. While you are doing this, your Higher Mind is working.
Stay there until you feel stabilized/grounded. You are literally opening mental space for new possibilities to enter your life; you are allowing Spirit to take over and supply inspiration. Be still and spacious and It will come forth. Do this over and over and your next step will be revealed. (You can practice this form of meditation over many days or weeks.) Be patient; stay open.
Your next action could be anything—meeting a certain person, taking a class, joining a meetup social group, moving your home, reconnecting with an old friend, putting an ad in the paper, calling to inquire about a position, joining Toastmasters, taking a leap of faith.
One gal was a corporate senior technology specialist and decided to quit her job (that was sucking her life) so that she could deliver pizzas at night and write a book during the day. This radical change allowed her to move into her creativity. She wrote two novels, created music, and became an amazing portrait artist.
Another woman quit an office job that was killing her and became a trapeze artist. In her transition, she became alive and purposeful. So, who knows… anything is possible!!
- Visualize the kind of activity that would be fun to call work. Recognize that this activity is your True expression and it will generate wages/income. Do NOT concern yourself with HOW it will manifest or when, or who, or any other detail. Just enter this picture and FEEL the excitement and fun. Give this exercise 5 minutes. You can do this twice a day. Keep visualizing because each time you do, you intensify and densify the energy of your new path. Again, have fun, and don’t concern yourself with timing, when, where or who. That is the Universe’s job, not yours.
- Give thanks, let go, and get on with your day and do what is in front of you to do. Keep your mind clear by enjoying your present work. That means no complaining, blaming, or other negative energy. It gets in the way and creates a new picture, which overrides your visualized idea.
- Do these steps again tomorrow and the next day. Spirit follows as the mind directs. If you are clear in your intention, opportunities are revealed. If you are urged to put your application in at a particular place, do it. If you feel pulled to do something you have never done before, good! Do it! Pay attention and you will be guided. Follow it without question or hesitation.
With just a little willingness on your part, miracles happen. Stay focused and have fun!
©2020 by Jean Walters. All Rights Reserved.
Excerpted with permission.
Publisher: Inner Connections.
Article Source
The Journey from Anxiety to Peace: Practical Steps to Handle Fear, Embrace Struggle, and Eliminate Worry to become Happy and Free
by Jean Walters
Everyday stress takes a toll on your well-being and sense of joy and can even cut your life short. In this book you will discover practices to help you move from anxiety and worry to peace of mind and you will read stories of people who have successfully made the transition. It is a process. Others have successfully transitioned in this way and you can too. It is like crossing a stream, jumping from rock to rock. Take a step and the next stone (step) will appear before you. The main thing is to start!!
For more info, or to order this book, click here. (Also available as a Kindle edition.)
About the Author
Jean Walters is a Saint Louis based teacher of self-empowerment principles for over thirty years. She has studied metaphysics extensively and applies universal principles to every area of her life. Jean has written weekly and monthly columns for major Saint Louis newspapers and publications and been published all over the United States. Her books include: Set Yourself Free: Live the life YOU were meant to Live, Be Outrageous: Do the Impossible; Dreams & the Symbology of Life; Look Ma, I'm Flying. She has designed and presented classes and workshops in empowerment, meditation, universal laws, dream interpretation, and strengthening intuition for organizations, colleges, universities, spiritual groups, and businesses around the Midwest. From her Saint Louis office, she works with people around the world as a Transformational Coach and Akashic Record reader. She has given over 35,000 readings with the emphasis on providing insight regarding personal growth, life purpose, strengthening relationships, and moving through obstacles.
