We’re in the midst of some great changes right now.
Over the last 20-30 years, we experienced tremendous technological advances that revolutionized our ways of life.
Now, it seems as if we’re being given a chance to “catch up” with technology.
This pandemic has caused a global disruption, and we’re seeing the changes play out on both the micro and macro levels.
We’re either adapting to our developments in technology, or we’re being left out.
By growing and developing into the next phase of life, we’re transcending and including the previous.
This is evolution.
What’s that mean for us though?
Well, it’s been said that it’s never the strongest or most intelligent that survive, but those who are most responsive to change.
That means those who have an open mind and react quickly and positively to the circumstances they’re facing.
Thus, in times like these, the people who adapt quickest are the ones who thrive.
Not everyone deals with change the same way though.
Many experience great grief.
Others experience anxiety.
And, you can’t blame them.
Having finally become accustomed to something only to have it change can be frustrating.
It’s like, let me catch a break. Right?
It’s natural though.
Most of the time necessary.
We can think of it as a course correction from the hand of nature – something beneficial.
This view will actually help us move forward faster, too.
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”
– Marcus Aurelius
As a human being, we’re designed for these types of situations.
Our brain is inherently wired with instinctual behavior patterns to respond to and survive in any environment we’re in.
Neuroscientists have confirmed: our brain is ever-changing and always re-configuring the wiring according to new thoughts and new experiences.
Through the process which we’ve come to understand as neuroplasticity, our brain designs new patterns, cells, and neurotransmitters in response to the new input it receives.
So, we’re literally reshaping our brain just by entertaining new perspectives and giving ourselves new experiences.
Knowing this, it’s clear that the only thing that will hold us back from thriving in these new times is the past stories we’ve told ourselves.
In other words, our idea of our “self”.
According to Buddhists, and now backed up by neuroscientists, the self is an illusion.
Ultimately, our concept of who we are is built from the stories we’ve told ourselves about ourselves.
When it comes down to it, your idea of “You” is an immense collection of narratives you’ve created about your life’s experiences.
It’s just an idea.
An incredibly impactful idea.
But nonetheless, just an idea – one that’s ever-changing.
Realizing this, the question that naturally comes up is, ‘Can we consciously influence this idea?’
And, the answer is yes.
It sounds simple, but it does take sincere effort.
Plainly put, by identifying a narrative we’ve created and the meaning we’ve assigned to it, we can mentally re-write what happened, and consequently, re-frame it’s meaning.
As we shift our thinking about a situation, there’s also a shift in the significance we’ve assigned to it.
This way, our emotional response to the story becomes different.
What would happen if you adopted the view that everything in your past has happened to prepare you for the glorious moments which are unfolding now?
How much more confidently would you approach your future problems knowing that they’re not problems, but actually opportunities for you to apply yourself and prosper?
We’re built to thrive.
To succeed.
To accomplish.
Nothing happened TO us.
Everything happened FOR us.
By believe it, without a shadow of a doubt, and we’ll be so much more prepared for what’s happening.
The past has nothing on us.
“I am not failing – I am growing! Do you have the ability to re-frame failure as growth in order to achieve your goals?”
– James C. Collins