Change is something that we all desire for our lives, others and the world. There may be many reasons for this desire. Sometimes it could be because we think that things aren’t as they should be or even the mere reason that we feel stuck in the rut of the old and we just want to experience the freshness that change offers. As a young person, you are in your most dynamic phase of life thus it will be helpful to know how to go about change in your life. I must admit that there is no one way of going about change. There are as many number of techniques for change as there are working brains in this world. Perhaps, you have tried a few and recorded some successes and failures here and there. In this article I want to share with you a better way of change that makes it seem natural, effortless and replenishing.

Just like every young person out there, I like to try new stuff from time to time. Sometimes, I even feel like re-inventing myself; changing everything about myself including my friends and my experiences. This sometimes gets a little bit out of hand because there are some limits that we attempt to transcend to our own peril. I call them natural limits (others call them something else). Imagine a young fish waking up one day and deciding for a change- moving from water to live on land. How catastrophic that would be!

In the world of change, there are some basic assumptions that run through all the methods, techniques and practises for change. One of the basic assumptions I have identified revolves around effort and exertion of one’s attention, energy and resources; after all, no pain, no gain. This makes change look like work, real tedious work. I find this portrayed in most inspirational videos where the change seeker should never be okay until he sees the change he desires. Thus everything he is expected to do in the pursuit of change is expected to not make him feel okay about himself and his condition. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of life, this form of self-exerting painful process of change might look like the only way out but can you be open for us to explore another method? Of course, yes. Young people like to explore, don’t they?

This is an excerpt from Adrenaline, a contemporary Youth Magazine issued by Restpiration

When we slow down the pace of our lives and allow ourselves to be more mindful and observational, we stand to gain a fresh perspective on change. I know not any better way of slowing down than getting away from the busyness of our minds to observe nature as it is. Let’s consider nature: have you seen how the trees grow, the sun rises and wanes and the fuzzy worm-like caterpillar transforms into a colourful full bloom butterfly… If you have witnessed all these miracles of life then you probably agree with me that change is inherent in nature. Nature needs not exert itself in strife, it understands that it is following a cycle which requires that it changes. At any stage, it will always have what it requires to survive and thrive even without going out of its way. All it has to do is to remain in unison with the cycle and it will be sustained.

Humans are pretty much the opposite. We love to go against nature and yet wonder why nature has become hostile to us. We go out of our way to grow ten times the crops that the land can nurture and wonder why we aren’t yielding much. In our attempt to have all our desires met we have lost touch with the realities that nature presents. If the Creator saw it necessary to have every form of change programmed in His creation, don’t you think He would also do same for us since we are His highest creation? True change should never be hostile to our well-being. It should feel natural, like it’s a part of who we are. In fact, it shouldn’t feel like we are changing but rather change is happening through us. That’s the way of nature!

If you’re so much inclined towards painful change, it might take a while for you to be acquainted with this new perspective of change. One quality that can save you time and help you appreciate effortless change is by being open to explore new perspectives especially in the areas that you desire change. Insisting on what makes you miserable isn’t the way to go. My final word on effortless change is that effortless change isn’t about doing nothing, rather it is about understanding the way of nature and cooperating with it. All the momentum and drive you require for the change wouldn’t be something you have to conjure from god knows where; it will flow from your understanding of nature.