Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. – Lao Tzu

Are you resisting life’s changing path?

CHANGE. It’s a word we all struggle with.

We reach for the past, hoping what once was will come again. We resist the future, avoiding the mystery of that which is to come. And we cling to comfort, seeking that which we know.

And why?

In life, one thing is certain. Things can’t and won’t remain the same.

Yet we try to escape this reality over and over.

Change is inevitable. It will happen whether we want it to or not.

So perhaps rather than fighting it, we need to take a look at just how we can deal with it. In other words, it’s time to CHANGE how we deal with change.

The process of dealing with change begins with acceptance.

In order to move through whatever change we face, we must embrace the change itself. This means looking at whatever situation we are resisting with an open heart and an open mind.

I know this seems scary, but think of it this way…

You absolutely do not know what the universe has in store for you. Change could lead to something bigger and better than anything you had ever imagined.

However, if you continue to fight change, you will never know just what that future may have been.

You must find the courage to accept what is-right here, right now in this given moment in time. This means that you must embrace the present through the very act of mindfulness itself.

When you calmly sit with what is, you arm yourself with the power of acceptance. And acceptance leads to the ability to deal with change.

It may not come easily, but it will come in time. And through this, the fear of whatever change you face will fade away.

In closing, I want you to think about this…

Sometimes being thankful for change is all it takes to move the mind into a more peaceful place.

Meditation Exercise

It’s time to meditate. Please set a timer for 10 minutes so that you aren’t tempted to look at time during your practice.

Today, I want you to meditate on your resistance to change. You can choose to use a mantra to focus your attention if you wish.

You could use the mantra “may my heart be open to change.”

If you choose not to use a mantra, begin by focusing on your breath. And as you settle into today’s practice, begin to notice your thoughts as if you were observing them from a distance.

Notice how often your thoughts about change aren’t consistent with reality. Our minds tend to generate thoughts to fill in the gaps in our knowledge.

At best, our thoughts are usually only partially correct because we can never see the big picture. How does this have an effect on your resistance to change?

Continue to observe-and bring your attention back to the breath whenever you feel unfocused or uncomfortable.

Remember that you can always add that mantra if focusing becomes too tough.

End the meditation by focusing all of your attention on the breath for a minute or two.

Congratulations on completing day eight of this mindfulness meditation challenge. I’m definitely proud of you. Two more days to go! See you tomorrow…