Dealing with Change – Insights From My Garden

Being alive is about experiencing change all the time. The natural order of the world is change and transition. As I was working in the garden this past week, I was observing changes, as well as intentionally creating changes. I had cultivated some seedlings and it was time to transfer them into their new homes.

As I was taking these seedlings and transferring them into the garden, or into larger pots, I observed that they all experienced some sort of shock. Most of them drooped down and looked very sad after their move. Some of them recovered very quickly, within a few hours. Others recovered after a day or so.

As a spiritual advisor I recognize that the changes in our own lives work much the same way. Change can often be difficult to assimilate in our lives. The more we are willing to accept the constant patterns of change in our lives, the faster we can grow and flourish within those changes. The easier it is to accept change the faster we grow. It is true that the faster we grow the more change will occur, but as we grow we can trust that the Master Gardener, the Divine Spirit, will meet us at every level.

As humans we are meant to change, it is a part of our nature.  It is very easy to become rigid and unwilling to accept the changes that occur in life, however, it is painful to resist change. Resistance to change can often keep us from experiencing the good that exists in our everyday world. We can also take an active role in the process of change in our lives. When we take an active role and we choose to trust that whatever decision we make is the right one, we then can make the changes in our lives intentional and meaningful.

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living ~ Gail Sheehy

You are going to change. Your circumstances are going to change. What can you do to play an active role in these changes? There are three natural qualities that are intrinsic in the human experience. These are like the nutrients that support our spiritual and soul growth. These intrinsic qualities are in every person, in fact, every spiritual teacher in one way or another talk about these eternal and natural qualities. They are love, joy, and peace.

The important thing to remember about these things is that they are intrinsic. Too often people think that they get love from other people. This is untrue. Love is something that manifests within and is experiences through giving. Joy is also the same thing. We do not get joy from our experiences, we bring joy to our experiences. This is true with peace as well. I have met many people that are looking for peace, for the right circumstances that will bring them peace of mind. However, we don’t get peace from circumstances, we find peace in circumstances.

When we actively engage these three qualities in our everyday life and through our changes we will grow. Our potential then becomes endless and our ability to experience meaning in life continually expands. So, as you experience your constant changes on this journey of life, look for these three qualities. They are always with you and are your true nature.