Do you struggle with change?

Some people in my family love change (me and my daughter, Zoe) and some people don’t love it quite as much (my husband, Paul, and my son, Oakley).

That means that some of us are really loving our new place and some of us are taking a little longer to adapt. 

It was really Zoe who wanted to move in the first place because, for the last 3 years, she and Oakley have shared a room. They got the master bedroom in our old place and we put almost floor to ceiling bookcases in the middle to divide up the space.

However, Oakley talks a lot in his sleep (Zoe kept a journal of the funniest things he said) and he sings in the morning, just as he’s waking up, so Zoe really felt the need for some more privacy and quiet in her own space.

We found a 3 bedroom condo, so she’s thrilled and is happily decorating her room with 4 walls. She even has an ensuite bathroom, so she’s living the life.

I was happy to move again because I like moving, change and novelty. Energetically, I felt that our time was complete at the old place. 

Paul and Oakley are not so in love with the new location yet because there are a lot of differences. We’re a little farther away from the river than before and the setting is a little more urban. We’re close to a street that has a lot of bars and restaurants, and since it’s been the Stampede for the last 10 days (the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth that has a lot of people wandering around in cowboy boots, cowboy hats, insanely short skirts and spending a lot of extra time in bars) it’s been noisy. 

To deal with the noise, I tell my brain to sleep through all the outdoor sounds and it cooperates. Paul doesn’t find that strategy to be effective for him, so he’s working on other solutions. Closing our doors and windows works; it’s just that it’s been so unusually hot that some nights it’s a toss up between heat and noise.

Anyways, I have a number of practices in place that have caused or allowed me to feel better about change than I used to, so I wanted to share them with you.

1. I have a gratitude practice. Every night I write out my gratefuls in my journal. Gratitude changes everything, so even in tough situations, I notice that this practice makes a huge difference in my attitude.

2. I trust that everything is for my highest good. That means that when something uncomfortable comes up, I know that it will unfold in ways that I can’t predict that will turn out to be awesome. With our gong show move, for example, I knew that even as we were going through it that it would make an excellent story for my blog post, so even that little thing made it worthwhile and easier to get through.

3. When things don’t go as expected, I really focus on breathing through discomfort with long slow belly breaths. That helps to calm down my active mind that loves to think that thinking will solve all the problems. (Hint: thinking doesn’t solve problems; breathing does.)

4. I actively cultivate great relationships with the past, present and future. Being in the present moment means that you accept and embrace the past and that you look forward to the future with joyful expectation.

That’s not how most people live. Rather, they have a habit of regretting the past and fearing the future. A few years ago, I realized that if you want to be present, you’ve got to take conscious steps to love and accept the past and to change your relationship with the unknown.

Do you take time to actively reflect on your past and then use that information to make conscious choices about how you’re going to move forward?

I think that’s one of the most untapped secrets for being happy and fulfilled; taking time to unpack what’s happened, celebrate it and look at it with curiosity rather than judgement, and then to use what you learn about yourself to move forward with little or no fear for the unknown.

This Friday, I’m facilitating such an experience, with the focus of taking what you learned from the Pandemic and letting go of what no longer serves you so that you can move consciously into the world as things open up again.

If you never take time to visit the past with curiosity and reflect on what you learned, you’ll likely continue to repeat the same patterns, have the same habits that keep you stuck and then you miss out on celebrating all the good stuff that’s happened. 

Likewise, if you don’t have a habit of planning for the future using some key strategies like including fun, focusing on meaningful results and stretching your imagination, then it’s very, very easy to fall into self-sabotage, or to feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough.

Who wants that? Not me. That’s why you’re invited to join us, either live or on the recording the upcoming Masterclass “Creating an Inspired Action Plan for Reintegration”. 

During the class, you’ll be guided through the powerful process of discovering what worked for you before and during the pandemic so you can revive those practices if they fell away. 

You’ll also get clear on what wasn’t working for you before and during the Pandemic, so you can make the conscious choice to let those things go. Then you’ll get to make a plan for moving forward based on all the juicy goodness you discovered. 

Sure, you can do this process on your own, but will you? If yes, then yay you! Enjoy. If you’re like me and you need some scheduled time on the calendar to make it happen and you love to be guided through a strategic series of questions for reflection, then please join us. We’re continuing on with the sliding scale this month, so there are options for that. 

Click here to learn all about the masterclass and to register. Even if you can’t be there live, you’ll get access to the recording so you can do the class at your convenience. 

To recap, if you struggle with change or worry about the future, here’s what you can do:

>take action with gratitude (write it down and/or embody the vibration of gratitude)

>practice trusting in the Universe

>breathe deeply and slowly as often as possible

>cultivate great relationships with the past and the future to become fully present

Pick one of those ideas and really go for it this week. I know for sure that it will make a difference. 

With fluid love and transcendent courage,

Christina

Creator of Courageous Self-Care

Annoyingly Optimistic

Frequenter of the amazing french bakery just around the corner on the busy, noisy street (See? I can find the good in anything!)

PS - If you haven’t already, check out this month’s Self-Care Masterclass “Creating an Inspired Action Plan for Reintegration” that will help you consciously craft a new normal that works for you as the world reopens.