 © Photographer: Olgalis | Agency: Dreamstime.com Last night I had a dream that was a powerful metaphor for change. I was with my family in a hotel. As they walked about the patio I hung around in a body of water surrounding the hotel. I suddenly realized the water was stagnate and how gross it was. After this realization I still waded around for a bit, looking at the pond scum and scenery, unsure what to do. I then decided the water was just too gross and got out. Water in dreams is often a reflection of where you are in life. For example, murky water you can't see through might show up in times of heavy confusion. Being on a river with raging rapids could mean something is going too fast and you feel you're losing control. For me, the stagnate water reflected my stuck (yet comfortable) feelings and the fact that I could change things whenever I wanted. All I had to do was realize where I was and embrace being somewhere else. I wasn't planning to say too much about this dream, but unexpected inspiration showed up in my inbox this morning. A website I sometimes use for photos suggested its users search the free photos and write a blog inspired by something in there. I searched for "change" and got some images of fall leaves and literal change - like quarters and nickels. I thought meh, I'm forcing this too much because I have change on my mind. I then typed in "beauty" and the image above, of the leaf blown into the chain, came up. It reflected my thoughts and feelings about my stuck-themed dream and I couldn't look away from it. The image of a fall leaf trapped in a chain makes me think of how our limitations are often illusions. So often we're screaming for change, wishing for it, when in truth, it's already here. All we have to do is have the courage to embrace the new and let go of the old. I just love the idea of the little leaf feeling totally trapped and stuck by the chain, when in truth, it's not stuck at all. All of its changes have happened internally. The entire physical makeup of the leaf changed, and it will continue to change until it dissolves and falls off the chain. So even if the leaf doesn't notice the change it will, because it's already happening, and it couldn't be stopped at this point. Too often though we tell ourselves it's just not that easy. We tell ourselves change is hard and almost impossible. The truth is, not changing is probably costing you more energy than moving to the place you desire. Resisting what's trying to happen often takes so much energy that we think "I have nothing left. I'm spent. I'll just stay where I am." Just imagine how much energy it would take to hold a door closed if The Rock was on the other side of it, pushing. Now imagine letting go and letting him in. Not only would you be able to put your energy elsewhere, but you'd now be able to enjoy the company of this guy:  Who doesn't like this guy? A powerful force that could knock you on your ass, sure, but look at that smile. There could be a Dwayne Johnson trying to bust in your door right now, if you'd just embrace the new.
If you're worried you can't change, you can. You actually are changing every second of the day. Who you were yesterday is not who you are today, at least physically. Your body is in a constant process of death and rebirth. Like the leaf, you couldn't stop yourself from changing if you tried. You constantly create and lose cells. You replace all of the fat cells in your body about every ten years. So even thinking you can't "lose weight" and change your body is false - because in truth, you've already done it, many times over. So you can change. And if it's that natural for your body to change, if it's that effortless than you don't even notice it, what else could you change today if you used your intent and power of concentration? I'm quiet sure you could move mountains. Or at least get out of a pool of stagnate water. P.S. While looking for information on cell regeneration I found this fascinating tidbit: "In effect, a small population of our brain cells remains permanently young, renewing itself continually." It came from this article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23665-nuclear-bomb-tests-reveal-brain-regeneration-in-humans.html#.UkWsToakr0c |