Change ALWAYS means the loss of one thing and the gain of another.

The ease or dis-ease of the Change is the result of how much control we have, or perceive we have, over the actual event. On one hand, if you are consciously creating Change in your life, then its occurrence will be expected.  On the other hand, if Change occurs suddenly and is unplanned, then we become surprised or shocked when it happens.

Regardless of whether we consciously plan Change or if it occurs spontaneously, the surprise that most experience with Change is directly related to the time element involved. In many instances, even when we meticulously plan out change in our life, we become surprised at WHEN it arrives. Sometimes it takes too long for our liking. Sometimes it occurs immediately, or sooner than we expected.

In addition to these elements of time and control, loss of any type involves the individual journey through grief. Some journeys are short, like when one loses their favorite pen or the front door key. Other journeys are long, such as when our home burns to the ground or a beloved pet dies.

Yet, always at the end of the grief is redemption. We always gain something from Change; even if we are unaware of the nature of the gain. The loss of your front door key meant you had to get another one; and in the process you managed to smile at the clerk in the store and compliment her on her hairstyle and color. You feel better for it, and she gained the confidence and energy to make it through the rest of her shift.

The inherent turmoil of Change has no panacea. Yet, it occurs as naturally as the growth of your hair and fingernails. For yes, that too is Change! The impact Change has on our well-being is a direct relation to how we perceive the event. When the nail on your left big toe changes by growing a millimeter you are not in the least bit affected. When the nail on your right big toe grows into the skin and begins to inflame, you react differently. Loss and gain occur at the cellular level when that left big toenail is growing. Loss and gain occur at a more visceral level when the ingrown toenail on your right foot begins to swell and throb.

Other than powers of magnitude, how is your reaction to the changes in your toenails any different than your reaction to say, the loss of someone from your life?

The process and elements of the Change are the same. How you react can be the same too. What you feel will be different, most definitely. Learn the difference between how you react and how you feel. How? There is only one way – through self-examination.

When Change arrives and your reactions and feelings are confusing you, ask yourself these questions:

• Am I in control of what is occurring or not?
• How am I surprised at this?
• Do I know and understand the grieving process?
• What exactly have I lost so far, and what do I still stand to lose?
• What exactly have I gained so far and what do I still stand to gain?

Change ALWAYS means the loss of one thing and the gain of another. Many times we have no idea of what we stand to lose or gain from a Change event. However, the elements of Change and the process of Change are static. It is only the form that is different.

Change has a very big role in divine creation. It is the spark that moves life forward. Change is progress. Always. Whether you agree or not. Whether you notice or not.

Take care, seek peace and keep listening to the voices.

Vince

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