New Years, new adventures, and for me a new living space. Sitting amidst boxes and a jumble of furniture I’m reflecting on the process of moving. More specifically on the process of change.
Moving house is such a process! At first it seems simple: put some things in boxes, then move them to another location. Soon, things start to get messy.
More stuff, objects, possessions seem to endlessly flow from shelves and closets, reminding us of just how much stuff we actually have accumulated (and don’t really need). The numerous packed boxes seem to barely leave a dent in what needs to be done. That sweater and do-dad that was forgotten about for at least a year, still seems a little too precious to get rid of. Really?
Some people are great purge-ers and can toss items left and right into the Goodwill box. It’s a skill I’ve cultivated more and more in myself over the years but still struggle with in stressful moments.
Then there’s the actual moving process. Our home is more than just a location. It’s a safe haven, our protected space and having that shaken up is a challenge in many ways. I got to ride the edge of my comfort zone and notice what deep inner patterns surfaced in ways that had not arisen in “normal” everyday life. I noticed my own reluctance to ask others for help on moving day and worried about little things like whether the moving day lunch would be liked by everyone.
I marveled at this gift of dredging up lingering patterns to be looked at and dealt with in the light of transitions. Just when things are going smoothly, there’s a sharp curve in the road to test just how good our balance really is.
I realized that this is also the way of illness. Health imbalances come to a head as a way of nudging, sometimes shoving us to the edge and out of our comfort zone. This is where significant change and growth can occur.
Individuals who find it hard to relax, often find that their body “helps” by putting them out of commission in some way, a twisted ankle here, maybe a back spasm there. There is often frustration that comes from not being able to “do” as they’ve always done, keeping busy with normal routines. When those same individuals are able to embrace and explore what a more restful existence might look like for them, or what drives them internally to always be on the go, the threads of healing begin to weave themselves into a new pattern or wholeness.
On a soul level, there are lessons that we are meant to learn and I have seen over and over again that the Higher Self, our own deep Knowing, will bring forth situations, sometimes scenarios that seem quite drastic to ensure that these lessons come to fruition. As the great Dr. Carl Jung put it, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Life is not happening to us, it is happening from us.
So how can we harness this process intentionally without having to box up all our possessions? Not getting quite so cozy in our comfort zone is a key. Doing something novel, a little intimidating, or outside our normal routine can bring new insights and the satisfaction that comes from testing and expanding our boundaries.
There is a caution not to confuse the process of embracing change with that of actually creating chaos or busyness in our lives, which is a smoke screen in itself. One man’s chaos is another man’s strict sense of order. Both are yelling, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
By tuning into our inner currents and impulses, by questioning where our reactions and comfort zones come from, we tone up our intuitive sense of what needs to fall away to becoming more and more our true Selves.
Here’s some questions for reflection and I’d love to hear what comes up for you in the comments below:
1. When is the last time you felt awkward and persevered? What did you learn about yourself?
2. What’s one thing that you know you should be doing but are avoiding due to your comfort zone?
In health and inner adventures,
Leslie
Moving house is such a process! At first it seems simple: put some things in boxes, then move them to another location. Soon, things start to get messy.
More stuff, objects, possessions seem to endlessly flow from shelves and closets, reminding us of just how much stuff we actually have accumulated (and don’t really need). The numerous packed boxes seem to barely leave a dent in what needs to be done. That sweater and do-dad that was forgotten about for at least a year, still seems a little too precious to get rid of. Really?
Some people are great purge-ers and can toss items left and right into the Goodwill box. It’s a skill I’ve cultivated more and more in myself over the years but still struggle with in stressful moments.
Then there’s the actual moving process. Our home is more than just a location. It’s a safe haven, our protected space and having that shaken up is a challenge in many ways. I got to ride the edge of my comfort zone and notice what deep inner patterns surfaced in ways that had not arisen in “normal” everyday life. I noticed my own reluctance to ask others for help on moving day and worried about little things like whether the moving day lunch would be liked by everyone.
I marveled at this gift of dredging up lingering patterns to be looked at and dealt with in the light of transitions. Just when things are going smoothly, there’s a sharp curve in the road to test just how good our balance really is.
I realized that this is also the way of illness. Health imbalances come to a head as a way of nudging, sometimes shoving us to the edge and out of our comfort zone. This is where significant change and growth can occur.
Individuals who find it hard to relax, often find that their body “helps” by putting them out of commission in some way, a twisted ankle here, maybe a back spasm there. There is often frustration that comes from not being able to “do” as they’ve always done, keeping busy with normal routines. When those same individuals are able to embrace and explore what a more restful existence might look like for them, or what drives them internally to always be on the go, the threads of healing begin to weave themselves into a new pattern or wholeness.
On a soul level, there are lessons that we are meant to learn and I have seen over and over again that the Higher Self, our own deep Knowing, will bring forth situations, sometimes scenarios that seem quite drastic to ensure that these lessons come to fruition. As the great Dr. Carl Jung put it, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Life is not happening to us, it is happening from us.
So how can we harness this process intentionally without having to box up all our possessions? Not getting quite so cozy in our comfort zone is a key. Doing something novel, a little intimidating, or outside our normal routine can bring new insights and the satisfaction that comes from testing and expanding our boundaries.
There is a caution not to confuse the process of embracing change with that of actually creating chaos or busyness in our lives, which is a smoke screen in itself. One man’s chaos is another man’s strict sense of order. Both are yelling, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
By tuning into our inner currents and impulses, by questioning where our reactions and comfort zones come from, we tone up our intuitive sense of what needs to fall away to becoming more and more our true Selves.
Here’s some questions for reflection and I’d love to hear what comes up for you in the comments below:
1. When is the last time you felt awkward and persevered? What did you learn about yourself?
2. What’s one thing that you know you should be doing but are avoiding due to your comfort zone?
In health and inner adventures,
Leslie
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