Change and Trees

Have you ever noticed how peacefully a tree allows its leaves to fall from it every autumn?
You don’t see the branches of the tree reaching out trying to force their leaves to stay. No, the tree gracefully allows the leaves to fall, courageously baring itself to the harsh winter elements. Then in the spring, the trees’ faith in nature is met with the blossoming of new buds – the natural order of life.

We are always changing – change is a constant in life. With every breath we inhale and exhale we are changing the oxygen in our body. Each time we move our eyes we change what we see and every time we change our mind, we change our focus. How often does that happen in a day? There are numerous other ways we change every day without even thinking about it.

Yet we resist change – not all change, however, have you ever found yourself kicking and screaming in response to the news of yet another change that is about to occur? I know I have.

Just the other day, I walked over to the grocery store to buy my favorite cereal for breakfast, and THEY WERE OUT!!! Every other Nature’s Path Organic cereal was available in abundance except for my favorite one (Optimum Power Blueberry Flax Soy)!

As I stood there dazed and confused by the coincidence that they were only out of MY cereal, I became aware (and embarrassed) at how I was letting this affect me. Here I was, having gone through so many more challenging changes in my life of 42 years and I was being thrown off balance because I was going to have to choose a different cereal. Get a grip Kim!

Can you relate to my story?

How is it that change is the most natural thing we do as humans, yet conscious change can be so difficult? Either the status quo must become too painful, annoying, or boring to endure any longer or the grocery store runs out of your favorite cereal so you “have to” try a new one.

Change is life experienced. Unconscious change results in life experiences that we may or may not like – recurring patterns. Conscious change results in creating the life experience we want! Forced change such as the fires recently experienced in Southern California shakes up the status quo and always leads to new – like it or not. Once we start recovering from the shock and trauma of such an event, we need to think about moving forward. The people who have lost their homes will spend time reflecting on their lives, gaining clarity on what is truly important to them. Some people will aim to recreate what they’ve lost. Others will let go of their past, either intending a fresh start or allowing themselves to be guided day by day. While for others, this will have been the disguised blessing they’ll always remember as being the catalyst that led to a whole new life adventure. Everyone will move forward in the best way that they can.

As for the vast forested area that was affected by the fire, it’ll use this mass cleansing to its advantage, re-balancing that which needed re-balancing for its eco-system, in the way that nature knows best.