CHANGE

Seasons change and old leaves fall to the ground while new leaves form in multiple shades of green only to take their place. Time changes from one minute to the next leading to the progression of hours which turn into days which turn into weeks then months and so on and so on. Life changes… Babies grow to become children, then develop into adolescents, maturing into young adults, etc. A simple cocoon transforms itself into a beautiful butterfly with vivid colors and intricate patterns. While a cocoon it remains, in what appears from the outside, as still while all along it was going through the stages of becoming a beautiful butterfly expanding it’s delicate wings and eventually learning how to fly. While the outcome is fruitful, the process can be complicated. Change leads to transformation and transformation leads to growth. When change occurs unexpectedly, it can feel challenging and uncomfortable at times but it leads to new experiences and opportunities that may not reveal themselves until later in time.

Making Room for the New…

As humans, we tend to be creatures of habit. Change creates insecurity for many. The issue that creates the insecurity is the unknown. Change makes you feel vulnerable and not in control. This is the root of the insecurity. Trusting the process, trusting life makes a big difference during times of transition. It helps to have someone who believes in you and stands by your side, but this is not always possible. Although we feel alone at times, it helps to know that we are never alone…

In Search Of…

If tomorrow life is no longer as I know it to be

and the birds and no longer singing in the trees

If the quiet neighborhood that I called home

is an alley down a dead end zone

If all the people that I love

are no longer there to give me a hug

If the sound of laughter is replaced with hunger

and the roaring that I hear is the sound of thunder

If everything I own is no longer mine

and all that I am left with is the passing of time

I will reach for the sky and hope for a star

to take my tired mind on a journey afar

Beyond what I have known

and into a place where lo and behold

I can fly like a sparrow

and free my thoughts of sorrow

to come face to face with whom I want to be

to come face to face with my destiny

for forgiveness has been a stranger to me

but forgiveness will set me free

because it’s never too late for a fresh start

because living is learning from the heart

When is CHANGE necessary, 5 Reasons Why

• When there is a need for growth

• When you have a lesson which needs to be learned

• When the way you are doing things does not help to achieve your desired outcome

• When you are in a toxic situation

• When you are meant to align with your life’s purpose

Arnold and Samantha

Arnold and Samantha had been married for 15 years. Both had decided to stay together even though they were in a dead-end marriage; very unfulfilling and empty. They no longer had anything keeping them together - conversation was limited to things related to their daughter, but they decided that for her sake they would stay together. One day Samantha woke up feeling empty and lonelier than she had ever felt before. That day marked the beginning of a remarkable change in her life. She realized that she could no longer continue to live the life that they had chosen so many years ago. She decided to make an appointment with a divorce attorney and soon thereafter, she pursued the divorce and made the changes in her life. Arnold was both surprised and devastated but he also knew that the relationship had ended long ago. Although Arnold resented Samantha’s choice to pursue a divorce, he knew that there was nothing left between them and that they were living a lie for many, many years.

Arnold’s life took a drastic change as he went through the multitude of emotions associated with this process but a few months after the divorce, he came to terms with it and began to heal. Arnold is now happily married to Mary. Samantha started her own business which was a life-long dream of hers. She met a great guy and is recently engaged. Arnold and Samantha have shared parental responsibilities of Sandy, their 9 year old daughter, and both have come to terms with their lives. They equally spend quality time with their daughter and she now has the best of both worlds. Sandy stated that she had never seen her parents laughing or happy when they were together. Change was necessary. The end result was positive all the way around for all of them.

Arnold and Samantha thought that they were doing the right thing by staying together for their daughter but later realized that they were wrong. Neither was happy and neither was growing as individuals. The outcome was fruitful and lead to a happy ending but the journey to get to this point was difficult. Samantha is doing what she has always wanted to do and the same holds true for Arnold.

Jon Gerard

Jon Gerard was in his thirties when he realized that he had been jumping from job to job for the last ten years. He felt as if his life wasn’t going in the direction that he had always dreamt that it would. Jon had a dream but he was always too scared to pursue it. He had always listened to the advice of his friends and family stating that he should work a 9- 5 job like everybody else. Jon had always wanted to start his own business but never wanted to go against the advice of the people he believed in. One day, the Company that Jon worked for closed down without notice catching everyone by surprise and they were left without a job. Jon had a burning desire to try his hand at running his own business and since he had saved a good portion of his salary throughout the years, he decided to try his hand at it. Jon’s product was one of a kind and within months his Company was doing well. In Jon’s case, Life’s circumstances forced him to go out on a limb. The change was what he needed to take a chance and the outcome, although scary, resulted in success. If Jon’s job remained the same he wouldn’t have tried to start his own business. In Jon’s case, the change that took place lead him into a better space. Although scary at times, it allowed him to grow and aligned him with his life’s purpose.

There are times that life brings people together and other times when people are directed to take separate paths. Life offers windows of opportunity. When one door closes, another door opens. Life is a journey filled with experiences to learn from and grow from. After every storm, the sun shines. All storms eventually pass and new life begins…

Written by: Gabriela Engels