Embracing Change

Making room for the unknown

We’re all facing big changes at the moment - it’s written in the stars.

I’m feeling that change within this creative project - the Art of Awakening.

Change encourages us to evaluate, adapt and update.

In the midst of so much change, I suddenly doubt what I have to offer. I wonder what to share and come up with nothing satisfactory. This questioning can be part of the creative process. But it can also be a trap.

Change can be overwhelming. By definition, it means letting go of the familiar. There is a period of waiting, after we let go, before the new arises.

Creatively, this can be a boon. When we allow space for change, we invite new perspectives and angles. We see things in a new way, allowing us to evolve as artists. And as creative humans.

Personally, it might be a different story. Change pushes us to the edge of our comfort zone. It helps us grow, willingly, or not. It can rip us apart. It can be traumatic. Devastating.

So we might fear change. And try anything to avoid it.

But the opposite of change is stagnation.

The only way to avoid change is to inhibit the human impulse to evolve, keeping us stuck. Or numb.

So to allow change, we have to become familiar with our feelings, and allow them.

• We may experience fear.

• We may experience loss.

• We may experience sadness.

Evening Splendor | oil on panel | 20 x 24 in

The Art of Embracing Change

I’ve been facing an edge, and have been unwilling to grow.

When I published my second book in 2019—with a respectable publisher—I was thrilled.

After six years of virtually non-existent sales, my agent no longer replies to my emails, and I am quietly ashamed of that book. It wasn’t the book I wanted to write.

The whole publishing process wore me out.

So I’ve been sitting on my next book since then, not knowing what to do. Fretting. Feeling like a failure.

I realized that in order to evolve as a writer, I need to get back to it.

I’m going to publish my third book—The Art of Embracing Change— as a series of posts here on Art of Awakening.

I’m nervous and excited and scared.

But it’s time to get back on the horse.

We’ll start in September, and you are warmly welcome. If you are facing change (and I know you are) stay tuned.

To join us and get access to The Art of Embracing Change program, including the audio version of the book and personalized guidance, consider upgrading your subscription.

Your Weekly Practice:

At a Vipassana retreat I did in Thailand years ago, we learned a little mantra that I still use. It went like this:

May I be well
May I be happy
May I let go of the past

May we be well
May we be happy
May we let go of the past

Say this quietly to yourself whenever you feel the need for support or comfort. Wishing you peace in the midst of change.