We are creatures of habit. Whether led by our natural instinct or a learned behavior, adopting a mindful practice that helps us adapt and pivot to changes may be the game changer you’ve been looking for.

Learning to Pivot

When I write I like to follow a certain process. First, I decide on my topic and create a rough outline to help organize my thoughts. Then I step away from my outline and take a break or, what I like to call, a creative breath. I keep my mind open to outside inspiration and when I experience something that brings about a eureka moment, I grab the nearest notebook or napkin to make note of this new concept. Sometimes I have to wait a couple days for this magic to happen, other times it takes a few weeks. But when it happens, I return to my outline and let my thoughts flow and fill the page.

A few weeks ago, I sat down to begin the final stage of the process for this blog post. I had a few scribbles to go off of but when I opened my laptop I found out the file with my initial outline had been corrupted and was completely gone. I allowed myself 2 minutes to be upset and then comforted myself with the thought, "If I did it once, I can definitely do it again." Regardless, I decided I would work on something else that afternoon and come back to the post when I was in a better frame of mind.

Later that evening, I shared this story with my mother and got a surprising response. She asked me again what the blog was supposed to be about. I told her, "Being open to change." She laughed, and then the irony hit me. This was my lesson in being open to change!

I had to overcome the fearful thought that I had wasted time as well as the fear that I wouldn't be able to recreate my outline with the ideas and wording I had before. As soon as I made the choice to move forward and not look back, I felt an enormous sense of freedom. In the end, what happened was a great gift - an opportunity to share this story about being open to change.

Shift Your Perspective

How do you typically perceive impending change in your life? For some people, change is exciting. For others, change is a shock to the system, even scary. I'm not just talking about getting a new job or new address. I'm talking about being adaptable. For example, arriving at your favorite restaurant to order your favorite dish only to discover they ran out earlier that day. Be honest, do you right away think, "This is great news, now I can try something new!" or do does your stomach drop as you return to the menu to reluctantly weigh your other options?

Being adaptable used to be a struggle for me. I am a planner and I love for things to go as planned. I have always envied people who can be spontaneous, go with the flow, and take risks. While change excites me, it would also freak me out. Over the years I have found some mindset tools that help keep me calm and collected. When it's something minor, I practice a lot of positive self-talk to help let go of my fear of the unknown and accept the new circumstance. When it comes to more important changes, I have to calculate and communicate before moving forward. I journal, consult with others, and create spreadsheets and timelines to determine how to make small, less overwhelming changes to help me master my fear. But why the fear?

Is it lack of confidence or faith? Is it because of failures in the past? Is it the fear of losing control?

Your past will either haunt you or be your driving force. We have to overcome those limiting beliefs that keep us from having confidence in ourselves and faith in others (or in God). We have to be courageous and have the willingness to take a hard look at those past experiences and uncover valuable lessons. Think back to a time when you overcame or accomplished something that seemed daunting, even impossible. Do you remember how that felt? Hold on to that feeling. Let it motivate you to keep moving forward. Focus on how you worked through the pain and pushed through the fear. Focus on the beauty and the glory on the other side.

Be the Change

We can learn from our past and we can envision our future, but the magic happens in between. Our power is in the present moment. Gandhi said it best. We have to "be the change we wish to see in the world." It really is that simple.

For years I thought this quote meant we have to DO the change we wish to see. After years of exhausting myself, I have learned that what Gandhi was talking about goes much deeper.

The truth is in order to have the life we want, we have to be the change. We have to align our beliefs with that desired change. And when we truly believe we are worthy and capable of the change we desire, the path will reveal itself and action will follow naturally. When we don't believe we are worthy or if we don't have faith, we miss the opportunities that bring about the desired change or sabotage situations without even realizing.

Be-ing happens in the present moment. When we are be-ing, it is effortless. When we are do-ing, it requires far more energy. Be-ing brings about total fulfillment and true joy. Do-ing may earn applause or respect, but we will never be fully satisfied. When we are be-ing we are in tune with our needs and our strengths. When we are Do-ing, we act from a place of lack. We feel we lack something in our lives so we try to please or impress others to attempt and attain it.

Whatever it is you want, ask yourself: WHY do you want it?

Is it to feel loved or get noticed? Or is it coming from a place of self-acceptance where you want to be your best self and reach your highest potential? or serve others and make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Make the Right Moves, Let Go of the Perfect Outcome

Whatever it is you're after, if you long for change, be open to the unexpected. If an opportunity presents itself, or if a door opens up (even if the door looks different than how you imagined), be open to the possibilities and embrace the newness of it. Remember that if we want our life to be different, we may have to let go of limiting beliefs that hold us back from experiencing a different reality. If you want change, you have to do things differently. When you practice living this way, that scary feeling of the unexpected turns into excitement. As long as you are taking the right steps, let that path lead you to where you are supposed to be. If you feel like you are free falling, well, that my friend is freedom.

When doubt and fear creep in, remember that amazing feeling you had when you overcame something in your past, when it seemed like your life was falling apart and it ended up being a beautiful blessing. Being open to change isn't easy. Change isn't always easy. But when you are willing to be vulnerable and tap into our power in the present moment and BE the change, you can achieve anything.