By Linda Sepadin
In the words of Dr. Frank Froman, psychologist and writer extraordinaire, it is a "ceaseless, never-ending entropy-cannot-be-reversed series of events that continually alter both us and everything around us. There doesn't seem to be much about life that doesn't change."If you're one who gets ruffled when change approaches, you probably think of change as a burden or an imposition: as "something you have to do" (i.e., increased paper work) or as "somebody else's ultimatum" (i.e., change or else). But what if you thought of change as an opportunity, not as an obligation? Here's what might happen. Instead of having your attention drawn to the problems, burdens and resentments that change might create, your attention could be drawn to the notions, ideas and happenings that float through space and that, up until now, you have been oblivious to.Far from a cross to bear, it's exciting when your mind works like a radar newly attuned to pick up signals in the air. The effect is like the contrast between being in a silent room and a room equipped with a short-wave radio. Suddenly, you realize that the silence was maintained only because you were not attuned to the frequency that enables you to hear sounds coming from the next room as well as from around the world.When you embrace this concept that life is about change, your life is transformed. You notice all kinds of things that you never noticed before. It might be observing the nuances of expression that impart to you how your child is changing right under your nose. It might be heeding your own inconsistencies and moodiness that divulges how you yourself are changing. It might be taking note of the changes that are happening in the Middle East, without coming to the conclusion that "nothing will ever change in that side of the world."Embracing rather than resisting change can dramatically alter your life. The difference is not always obvious right away. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, being open to change is a life altering adventure, expanding the way you think, the way you act, the way you feel as well as the nature of your relationships.Dostoyevski believed that change was "what people fear most." Eleanor Roosevelt felt that we fear change because we fear the unknown. You, however, being of sound mind and sound spirit, can give up defending yourself against change and welcome it, or at least accept it, when it comes knocking at your door.
Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice and the author of "Master Your Fears: How to Triumph Over Your Worries and Get On With Your Life." She specializes in helping individuals, families and couples overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. She invites you to visit her website at www.psychwisdom.com.Copyright © 2005
