In my life, embracing change has been less painful than resisting the fluidity of life. Resistance to endings and new beginnings, pathways and journeys causes pain and chaos, the way that yearning for the “good old days” that probably never existed, traps us in a maze of tunnels and dead ends. Like all creatures, we hope to find safety in the world we know, even if it is tattered and soiled.
But I do fight change when it is forced upon me, when I am told that I must change to make other people happy. I am more likely to embrace change when I am invited onto a new path, when I can choose to move in a new direction. In truth, sometimes this invitation comes in the form of a recurring dead end I visit after continuing to follow a familiar, worn path. I have learned that there is always a way to move forward, and that a dead-end sign simply means “not this way.” This is an invitation to be creative, to reframe my goal, and to embrace shifts in my journey.
I try to focus on the blessing these invitations bring, saying “thank you” for the gift of Spirit’s voice in my heart. It feels like Spirit is calling me forward onto a path I would never have taken. And yes, sometimes I refuse the invitation, knowing that some openings are roadside attractions that are not in alignment with my highest intentions and values.
Wise choices require that we take the long road, to look further into the future, knowing that each choice we make starts a spiral of transformation. Our lives spiral upward or downward depending on the way we respond to change. May you be blessed with spiritual invitations.
Change is always difficult, especially if it is demanded by an outside force. I agree that an invitation to change, based on doing inner work, is always easier and more palatable.