“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.” – W. Somerset Maugham

The physical world is impermanent. In it, change is the only constant. The laws which govern the physical world, however, are eternal. To live with grace, you must learn to accommodate change in every department of living.

Most people are generally adept at adapting to the changes going on around them. They may resist it on occasion, but given sufficient time, most people find a way to adjust to the constantly shifting factors in circumstance.

The more difficult changes, of course, are those which are generated within the heart and mind of the individual and move outward. Most people, apart from those whose head is so far up their immediate circumstances that they lose all perspective, recognize the need for change. Recognition, however, is only the beginning. Plus, it is the easiest part of the process.

The no-man’s land between recognition and actually making the change is the achilles heel of most when it comes to change. They see that they need to make a change but they don’t follow all the way through to the point that a new direction is set or a new habit is formed. If a new state of being or function does not set it, the old state quickly reasserts itself. As they say, “old habits die hard.”

There is a certain comfort that comes with that which is familiar. It is often said that familiarity breeds contempt, but it also brings comfort, even if that with which you are familiar is unpleasant. The sense of comfort brought on by familiarity leads many swear by the motto: “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t,” but sadly, the more they surround themselves with familiar people and things, the more isolated they become from the renewing waters of change.

If the wheel of change that connects the wellspring of life to the cistern of your living is broken, the waters around you will slowly but surely become brackish and your life will become stagnant. The wheel turns as you remain receptive to the change. It locks up as you resist it.

If you find yourself feeling stagnant, I can assure you that the problem is never found in that which is around you. Those areas of your life that feel or appear “stuck” are but symptoms of a deeper cause. That deeper cause is the resistance if not the outright refusal to change when change is required. Typically that refusal to change is justified or even locked in by limiting assumptions that you are holding about life.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard things said like “I didn’t know I could change” or “I didn’t think I was good enough to move in that new direction” or even “I didn’t want to rock the boat.” Such statements give evidence of limiting assumptions that lock up the wheels of progress.

There is a signature quality of discomfort that comes with change. It is the unquiet of the unknown, the awkward phase that sits between what you know and what you will know. If you are in the habit of going forward, those moments of suspension don’t worry or stress you overmuch, for you know that balance is easier to maintain when there is a little momentum in the mix. If you’ve ever ridden a bicycle, you know what I mean. Even walking requires a moment of suspension, that is, of imbalance between footfalls. Do you panic and withdraw? No. You keep moving forward.

So it is in life. Rather than grabbing on to the leg of familiarity like a child in a crowded room, declare yourself and stand on your own two feet. Dare to keep your head high and breath out as you move form the known to the unknown and back to the known. Let the wheel which turns in your heart and in your mind move gracefully, free of the friction caused by the fear of change. Tell yourself when the discomfort sets in “It’s okay. I’m moving forward. Change is the essence of true living.”