There is an incredible idea we all live with that everything will and should stay the same. We cling to this notion for dear life and are continually surprised when things we love leave, when relationships fade, our body changes, our fortunes fluctuate. When all of this happens, as it naturally must, we may even feel personally insulted or betrayed. Many say, “how can this be happening to me?” Others feel victimized by change, as if it’s living proof that they are failures. They have failed to hold everything together, to keep things the same. They have failed to have their expectations realized, expectations which did not factor in, the inevitable process of change.
You Cannot Step Into The Same River Twice The Greek philosopher Heraclitus tells us that “you cannot step into the same river twice.” The next moment you step into the river, not only is the river different, but you are different as well. Your body temperature has changed, your mood, the moment. . You have been impacted by all that has gone on. The river too has undergone changes, it has washed over rocks, swished the underbrush, tossed different fish inside it. The river is different and so are you. How beautiful and thrilling. .
However, many do not feel that change is beautiful and thrilling. They find it frightening, resist it and do all they can to block it out. They set up dams to hold it back; rigid beliefs and ideas that seek to contain the flow. This resistance to change causes real pain.
If not for the process of constant change, no growth would be possible. You would not be able to tell the difference between childish infatuation and real compassion. After you breathed in, you could not breathe out. A child could not go from sitting to crawling. Change is your friend. Change is a gift. It is crucial that you learn to see it that way.
www.becomefearless.org
Dr. Brenda Shoshanna
topspeaker@yahoo.com
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