‘Our mastery is in expanding our consciousness even when our physical reality is constrained’. Pam Gregory, astrologer
These are very potent times. We are part of a massive evolutionary shift for humanity. 2020 has been a challenging year for many. It has been the year where we’ve had to call on our inner courage and determination in order to survive the many challenges we’ve faced. And as a result of having to deal with lots of deep emotional energies, we’ve been forced to delve deep within. This inner search has enabled us to consider what’s important in life, what needs to change, and where we need to go from here.
Spiritual Transformation
‘Crisis precipitates evolution. To survive, civilisation must radically change its destructive behaviour.’ Dr.Bruce Lipton, developmental biochemist
We are going through a spiritual transformation as we go through the collapse of old orders within as we witness the desolation of the old structures in the world around us. As we emerge from what can only be called a massive internal reset where we’ve learned to identify what we value most in life, it helps if we realise that we have within us the ability to rise like the phoenix and experience life from a higher perspective. When we acknowledge our fears at this level of our awareness, then we can recognise they’re part of the growth and expansion of our conscious awareness.
Change And Growth
‘Growth isn’t always comfortable, sometimes it requires you to make changes you never thought of.’ Hopal Green, 101 Motivational Quotes
Change can be scary; it can leave us feeling quite unsettled. On the one hand, we want to change, and we crave a new way of being. But on the other hand, we crave the old familiar even though we know it’s collapsing and falling away. This can leave us feeling like we’re caught up in an internal battle, as we desire to be part of what’s collapsing but also desire to be free to create something new.
Taking The Reins
‘We can’t stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.’ Joseph Goldstein
Accepting that change is happening is a crucial first step in working through the challenges change brings. Being willing to face fear is the next step. Apparently, we can steer our nervous system so that we feel safe with change. According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist, we gauge and respond to our external environment through our sensations, perceptions, feelings, thoughts and actions. He says ‘We should take the reins and be more in charge of this process. We can achieve this through mindfulness, breathwork, reprogramming our minds etc., we get to choose whether we become prey or victim to these events.’
Successfully Creating Something New
‘Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.’ Santiago Ramony Cajal, neuroscientist
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to modify itself in response to an experience. The critical thing in changing our brain is our ability to bring focus to some particular perception; this helps build new neural pathways in the brain. It may seem like hard work to think and focus on a new perception, but this focus is the key to change. Dr. Huberman explains the early stages of hard work and focus will feel like agitation, stress and confusion. But these are a natural process towards change.
‘It’s the daily rigor and the tiny wins.’ Dr. Andrew Huberman
We know from neuroscience that it takes practice and lots of repetition to develop new neural pathways in the brain and as such success in any endeavour is entirely associated with how much we focus on our desired outcome. According to Dr. Huberman, the agitation, confusion and stress we feel when we undertake a new project or start something new are what contributes towards a ‘growth mindset’. He refers to this as the ‘entry point’ or the ‘gateway’, and says ‘once you get through this point, you start to feel low levels of joy in the process’.
Dr. Huberman reminds us however that real growth comes through the daily rigour, and this growth mindset is activated each time we reward ourselves for our gains or wins, regardless of how big or small they may be. He also says ‘Don’t look to others to reward you – otherwise your growth and achievement is dependent upon the acknowledgement and judgement of others – be your own mentor and supporter.’
To sum it up
In order to fully embrace change, it helps if we can:
- Acknowledge change is happening.
- Be aware that agitation, confusion and stress are part of the process of change.
- Go within and seek inner soul guidance.
- Steer our internal response to our external environment; this can be achieved through mindfulness, meditation or breathwork.
- Own the process of change by focussing on what we do want.
- Put in place a daily practice of new focus and build new neural networks through practice and repetition.
- Self-reflect and recognise and reward our gains and wins, regardless of how big or small they are.
So, go ahead and be the change you want to be.