Do You Fear Change?

What better time to ask this question! Change is happening so fast these days, it’s as if we’re sitting on a rollercoaster that just never stops… quite the opposite, it’s clearly accelerating.

Whatever your view of the current situation is (I certainly have done a lot of research to arrive at mine), the one thing that is certain is that tomorrow’s world can look completely different to today’s. Everything will depend on disclosures, states of consciousness and the degree of awareness of entire populations. And of course, the ancient adage is still valid: Change is the only constant… just that it’s currently speeding up. And we want to be prepared for whatever we may be faced week after week, day after day.

Recently, I heard Gregg Braden say: “The better we know ourselves, the less we fear change.” This couldn’t be closer to the truth.

As you know, self-knowledge or self-awareness is an integral piece of emotional intelligence. We also know that the better leaders are those who know themselves on a deep level. After all, leading starts with self. How then do we get to greater self-awareness? – Through self-inquiry by means of introspection and self-reflection, self-observation and self-assessment. Looking at ourselves in the mirror requires vulnerability and courage… And self-discovery is an ongoing process; it’s never done. Although every time we move an inch deeper, we get more confident that we can be prepared for whichever big leap we need to take.

In this article, I want to go beyond the typical self-awareness talk, where it’s about our beliefs, biases, behavioral patterns, triggers and how we are perceived by others. All this is essential, no doubt. But in my opinion, it’s essential to go deeper with knowing ourselves if we want to lead a more fulfilled and less stressful life: We must ask ourselves: What is our essence? How can we access our inner power and where does it come from? How much are we really capable of? Most of us didn’t grow up with these questions. It’s not what we typically learn in school or in professional training.

One thing is undeniable: “We are capable of much more than we are taught to believe,” as Gregg Braden also likes to say. Our creative power is unlimited. But why are we not taught about this in school? Well, probably because schools are meant to perpetuate the current systems. And people who know about their unlimitedness are perceived as a risk to the status quo. Meaning, we need to figure out on our own what this really means, unless we pay for a seminar that gives us direction and tools.

As you look back on your life so far, you have probably mastered situations that, if you’d known about them in advance, you’d have thought you couldn’t make it through them. But the fact is, you did. That alone is an indicator that we’re capable of so much more than we think we are.

For instance, my life has been full of adventures, some of which included high risks, both voluntary and involuntary risks, some were even about life and death. In hindsight, these experiences have taught me a wealth of lessons; they have allowed me to grow tremendously. But not only that: They have also given me the deep inner trust that independently of circumstances, I can find a way to make my life meaningful and worth living.

I sometimes call myself a “survivor.” What I don’t mean with this is of course that I am doomed to barely survive without being able to thrive. What I do mean is that past life- or existence-threatening situations have made me resilient for what might otherwise seem to be desperate situations. I now know that I will not let despair take over for long, and I will always have the capacity to create something new.

There is a deep inner trust that we can all find inside of ourselves once we recognize that we are capable of so much more than we are taught to believe. That we can break out of systems if we want. We can withdraw our consent to be controlled by “authorities.” We have the power to create our own reality as we desire it. We continually co-create our own reality anyway, so why not do it consciously starting now?

Our creative power is not something we have to acquire. It’s already inside of us. We just need to acknowledge it, tap into it and trust it. When coupled with courage, this unlimited creative power can move us through any challenge… including undesired or undetermined change.

Why is change so challenging for most people? – Because it comes with uncertainty. So, being comfortable with change is being comfortable with the unknown.

What’s your relationship with your unlimited inner power and creativity? What else are you capable of that you never thought you were? Are you ready to break out of conventional thinking of what your limits are?

And how is this related to what you stand for, what you’re here on this planet to do, your purpose?

Once you figure this out, change is no longer such a big issue. It becomes a natural component of life.