Encouraging Words

THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE Are you the River or the Rock?

Do you perceive change as a friend or foe? Usually, the answer depends on whether we desire the change, or it is forced upon us. The practice is to remember that what we push against we give more power to. From a universal perspective, change is the only constant; it is manifesting 24/7. Whether welcome or unwelcome, we can harness the energy of change and use it to our advantage by shifting our perspective. We suffer when change happens where we don’t really want it to, or, conversely, doesn’t happen where we really want it to occur. What if we could reframe our understanding of the dynamic energy of change? What if we could welcome change as a gift the Universe is giving us, trusting it happens when it is supposed to – even in challenge times? Regardless of whether we are consciously invoking a change in our lives or resisting it, we are dealing with the same dynamic universal principle, and it is an energy which is totally impartial to our wants, needs, and desires. We can choose to see change as an ally or an enemy, and it will respond accordingly. We can learn how the dynamic of change works and align with it in a manner which serves us in healthy, life-affirming ways or we can stay stuck – pushing against it. The downside to resisting change is that it will have its way; it will eventually wear us out. Some say that in a contest between a river and a rock, the river always wins. Why? Because the river will follow the natural call of gravity, going over, under, around or, eventually, through the rock, to its destiny, which, as with all water, is to ultimately merge with the ocean. The rock is stuck where it is, relentlessly pushing against the river, resisting the natural flow of water until, over a long enough period, the rock wears down to a pebble. If you ever visit the Grand Canyon, you’ll see that this is true.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu

The metaphor of the rock and the river is delightfully obvious: The river represents “us” when we are conscious of our oneness with the Universe and willing to trust the call of gravity, “going with the flow” of life without trying to force or manipulate it. From a spiritual perspective, gravity represents the silent call of the Beloved One wooing us to come closer – to surrender to the journey that is ours to take; this is the unfolding of who we have come here to be–and to do it with grace and ease. The rock represents the past and our attachments; it symbolizes our resistance to change and fear of the unknown. The ocean to which the river flows represents a life fulfilled in our oneness with something larger than us; it’s our merging with the Source from which we came. Surrendering to, and going with, the natural flow of the river called “change” is how we reach the fulfillment of a life worth living.

The power in this metaphor is that, if we are fully awake, every day when we get out of bed, we can choose whether we will be the rock or the river. The question I leave you to ponder is, which are you today – the river or the rock? If you find you are being a rock, what might you be clinging to? Where in your life might you be resisting change or trying to force it to happen before its time? The practice is to take a deeeeeep breath, trusting and knowing that the river knows where it is going and to let go. It will amaze you how embracing change will “change” your life for the better.