Can Change Wait?

Change… Does it scare you? Does it excite you? Both perhaps?

It both excites and scares me. Many songs come to mind when I think of change: Blind Melon’s Change – ‘When life is hard, you have to change,‘ Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide – ‘I’ve been afraid of changing‘ and for me, I’m sure there is a RUSH song for it as well (as there seems to be for many things in my life.) Music really helps in the process of change; an Artist experiences change and is so affected by it, they have to express it, somehow tell it to others to release the energy and to inspire them to navigate that change. I can’t find the words to express my gratitude for those beautiful souls!

I find this a difficult article to write, probably because I like my routines. I have maps in my head that setup daily routines to make my life run smoothly. The problem in that is life does what it wants to, and does not get my permission first; how dare it! The first reaction is to resist, moan, kick and scream. After all, I’ve got it all figured out and I know what is best for me, so change can just wait.

So time passes, and in those areas where change showed up life seems to slow its flow, like a dam on a river it slows and wants to find another direction, with less resistance and difficulty. The funny part is, had I accepted the initial change when it first arrived, the dam would have never been built! Kinda makes me angry… We are taught that things work a certain way, practice and never give up. Are we ever taught to just let go and flow?

I fear change because I have a setup system of control, and it gets challenged, it scares me, because then what? Will we have to maybe think differently about something we have been doing most or all of our lives?

I remember my first big change, and it still has left its scars. I grew up in a strict religion. The church of christ [sic]. When many things just did not make sense anymore about its teachings, I had to change. I had to seek the truth, and the scariest part was convincing myself that hell was not real and I would not be forever burning in a lake of fire for not believing what had been drilled in my head since birth.

Such wonderful, blissful freedom became mine when I let that go! Beliefs are a funny thing to me now as I find it difficult to just choose one path, one religion, one god, or one diet. I flow and am at peace taking the best of what it all has to offer and walking a new path.

I know that when I allow it, change is a positive event! Especially for the better! However it usually depends on how I choose to respond to the change. If I can remember to change up my own truth, based on my own life experience, observance, and evidence, as opposed to what I want to believe, or am told to believe, or always done… or as the news media propaganda tries to guide me… then all will be well. I just have to practice listening carefully to that quiet little voice inside. That peaceful, little voice of love and compassion.

Lately I have been changing some things. I have had to. For example: food. The way I have been eating for the past year has not been the best for my health, and I was really feeling it, and sadly I had to let the belt out and wear larger shirts. I became so unhappy with that, I changed my eating habits. There is not just one solution to eating healthy, except maybe to eat whole foods as nature intended, mostly plants, but not too much. Avoid any fad diet with a label. So far, so good!

Another big one is in how I allow other people’s opinions affect me. First, it’s really none of my business unless some horrible harm is coming from it. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, everyone is where they are, and I need not judge. This is difficult at times, and the past month or so even more. First racism rears its ugly head, and more recently in my home state, homophobia is very much alive and continuing, though maybe not as bad as it once was. My change in it now involves my response, not my reaction to it.

How do I know if the change is in the correct direction? Well, I ask if am I happier, healthier and is it working? Am I accepting what is instead of what might be? Is my now happy and peaceful?

Change is the one universal constant. Change is dependable.

I wish you all well in the changes life brings you!

– Jozzy Allman      

Jozzy is an advocate for health and wellness, of body, mind, and emotions. He shares “what works for (him).”  Jozzy also spins fire and cooks creative cuisine.