How to Be OK with Change in your life:

The light is yellow.

It was green, and yet suddenly- maybe when you weren’t expecting it, maybe when you had already committed at a stable pace to head through the light ahead of you… it changes.

Do you slam on the brakes?

Do you peddle to the metal?

That moment of realization that you have to make a decision, that you have to make a commitment, can jar you. Driving analogy aside, life throws many yellow lights your way. I’m not here to tell you how long that yellow light will last- only the yellow light knows that, but I can tell you how to deal with the decision at hand.

Decision making takes a lot of energy.

It is a stressful endeavor. Research says so.

I know first hand. For years I (lovingly) called myself Second Guessing Sooz. My horoscope says I’m a Libra, and apparently that means I’m constantly trying to balance life, often leaving decision making up in the air. It’s an “air” sign, so I like to “go with the flow”, the antithesis for decision making.

But the Flow? It doesn’t always tell you what path to take. That comes from a grounded personality. And being grounded takes a lot of hard work for me, because I’m a floaty, go with the flow, life-is-beautiful kind of girl. I believe I’m led to the things in life that are best for me. People call me optimistic, but I think it’s just faith, belief. If I have an internal knowing that I will know what to do… then won’t I know what to do? Doesn’t that make decision making easy?

Well, yes and no. If you’re also like me, you overanalyze. You get stuck in your head, thinking, thinking, thinking and debating debating debating. Is this the right course? Is this the correct way to go? You may flip flop, you may counter your own arguments. Hell, you may even heatedly fight with yourself.

I wouldn’t know, I’m not you. But I know I do that. I know- especially in moments where decisions seem HUGE- I hesitate, stammer. Deer in the headlights, my fight or flight response is triggered and I want to bolt, or punch Change in the face and steal it’s money. (Ok, maybe not steal, I’m not one for theft)

Change. 

F-ck that guy, amirite?

And yet we’re back on that favorite topic of mine- resistance. Stress IS resistance to change, big or small. If you are holding fear in your body, it causes tension- triggering your sympathetic nervous system to pelt you with hormones and other frantic energy. This energy acts as a poke and prod to DO something- act, now! Life or Death!

It’s not always life or death, as we know, but it’s just energy. Fear is energy that we resist. However, if we switch it up a little, change our perspective on the situation- and see Energy as working FOR us, not against us, we can garner it’s power and turn it into something fantastic.

Turn your energy into excitement.

By going with that flow, by thanking that energy’s presence in your body and allowing it to move through you, inspiring you- you control the situation. Fear into Excitement. If Fear is energy we resist, than Excitement is energy we bear-hug and high five. We’ve accepted that energy as our own, gave it a legit thumbs up, and walked into the future with it.

So are you afraid of this new change in your life? And would you prefer to be? Or do you WANT to let go, move on, decide and get on with it?

It’s your decision.