Autumn is proof, change is beautiful

The winds of change blow stronger as we head into the month of November, an acceleration of the Fall. Mother Earth’s leaves returning home to nourish her great body as she celebrates this climax of the year, showcasing her rich, cheerful tree canopies and dressing the ground with deep pile carpets of glorious coppers, golds and red tones.

Once again, the never-ending cycle of death and transformation has begun, soon to be followed by a rest period, until Great Mother resurrects herself again in the Spring.

Hold onto your hats as the Autumn winds blow away that which is now ready to be transformed.

So why are human’s so fearful of change? Why do we resist getting final closure and endings to old outdated ways of living, old beliefs, living situations and relationships, when nature demonstrates how glorious an ending to the old can be. It is an opportunity to be thankful for all the lessons and blessings of the past, to harvest the fruits of your labour, making way for the new, excitement and adventure. Yet humans resist that change, resist that finale.

Most of us are familiar with the saying – “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”. Some fear is natural, keeping us out of real danger, but most of our fears are irrational.

Sticking with the old, even though it doesn’t serve us anymore, feels safer than inviting in the new, an unknown, for fear it may be worse than what we already have. The irony is rigidity in the mind is reflected in rigidity in the body and sadly many people suffer a great deal of arthritic pain in their later years, because of this mindset.

The mind will always gravitate to what’s familiar, so the key to change is making all your old, outdated habits that are currently familiar, unfamiliar and inviting in new, empowering, healthy habits that feel unfamiliar and making them familiar. This is the foundation of the work that I do with my clients.

I remember being part of a change management program in a large corporation in 2000. After a company merger, part of the internal communications program included issuing each member of staff with a wonderful little book that I believe should be in everyone’s Santa stocking for Christmas – “Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson”.

This little gem is a quick read based around four little characters – two little mice, Sniff and Scurry and two little men, Hem and Haw, all living in a maze. The maze is a metaphor for life and the cheese is a metaphor for what you believe in life makes you happy. One day the four characters woke up and discovered that their cheese had disappeared. 

Which character do you most identify with?

Are you Sniff who likes to always be on the look out and sniffs things out and is always seeking new opportunities?

Are you like Scurry who likes to scurry into action?

Are you more like Haw who resists change initially but remains open-minded enough to adapt before it’s too late? Or

Are you poor Hem, who isn’t willing to change the way things are at all, irrespective of how uncomfortable that makes him or how desperate his situation becomes.

The Hem’s of this world are either too comfortable or too scared to change. They can feel victimised when their cheese is taken away from them and resist moving on. They don’t realise that the way things are may have to change in order to survive and thrive. 

Haw, laughed at himself and started to change when he realised what he had been doing was wrong. He realised the fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly. Then you can let go and quickly move on. Haw finally realised that breaking out of your comfort zone and enjoying the journey to find your new cheese is rewarding in and of itself. Actually, finding the new cheese is just an additional bonus.

The mice kept things simple, they didn’t over analyse, or procrastinate, they just changed as the situation changed.  The little people made the simple things complicated with their complex analytical brains, belief systems and human emotions. They were smarter than the mice but they were directing their energy in the wrong direction.

Obviously, we shouldn’t be like little robots and conform to change forcefully put upon us by those that have selfish agendas or that go against our own moral compass. But all change will bring its lessons, blessings and opportunities to create and embrace the new. 

In a world that is constantly changing, we need to be aware and adapt and be more like Mother nature, moving from one season into the next, constantly flowing, constantly evolving, constantly learning, nourishing our souls and most importantly enjoying the ride.

So, do you believe that change can harm you, so you resist it or do you believe that change will help you, so you embrace it?

Know that you can’t heal in the same environment that you got sick.

Remember YOU ARE the creator of your own reality.

I am just sharing some thoughts and ideas based on my own life experiences and those observed through working with my clients. As always, take what resonates and leave the rest and share if you feel called to.

Much love & Blessings
Siobhan Maguire