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The More Things Change...
Perhaps the greatest truism of all time is, "There's nothing constant but change." Consider a few of the other sayings that echo this sentiment:
"You never step in the same river twice."
"If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes."
"Time heals all wounds."
"This, too, will pass."
I'm sure you can think of a few more.
So the question is not whether things will change, but how will they change? For the better? For the worse? On a cellular level our bodies are constantly being broken down and rebuilt cell by cell. Our bodies are not the same bodies we lived in a year ago. Are our bodies in better shape now than last year? That depends on how well we've been taking care of ourselves.
As we get comfortable we resist change. We want things to stay "nice and safe" and stay the way they are. How likely is that?
One key to graceful change is learning to let go of the old. Another is staying in the present—not fixating on how things were or should be. It helps to start with the end in mind but to be flexible and realize we don't always end up where we think we will when we start. Avoid simple solutions. Life is complex: everything is connected to everything else, and we need to stand back and see as much of the big picture as we can. None of us can see the whole picture, but we need to try. One definition of getting old is when we stop learning new things.
Trying something new sometimes means trying something old like acupuncture. Even though acupuncture has been around for over 3,000 years it is constantly evolving and changing. Old theories are put to the test, and new information is constantly being incorporated. Acupuncture supports the body's fundamental drive for homeostasis—or ever–changing balance—by treating the whole person.
The secret to positive outcomes is learning to be proactive. "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail," as the saying goes. The more we can anticipate change, welcome it and learn to accept it gracefully, the easier our lives will be. The more we fight or resist change the harder we make things for ourselves.
There's a great saying from the 12–step tradition that the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result. If we want things to turn out differently, we need to try something (or some things) new.
As we make our new years' resolutions let's keep this in mind. After all, what is a resolution except a statement that we are looking for a new outcome and therefore need to try new methods? Let's resolve to try new things, to be open to change, to embrace change. Ultimately, when it comes to change, we either live it or live with it.
© 2003 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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