More to you than yesterday
6 things to remember
As far as human nature goes, we like familiarity. We like to revisit what was because we feel as if a part of us is left behind in all that feels familiar. The little things we thought that made us who we are and believed ourselves to be, are important to us. We allow ourselves to care for what was because we connect with it deeply emotionally and personally.
As much as we dread change, we are constantly changing and evolving every moment of every day. If we’re mindful enough, we pay attention to these changes and understand the impact they have on us. Other times we simply move and tend to miss out on an opportunity to become more. Seeing ourselves in a new light and from a different perspective.
We expect change to come in big packages and life-changing events do tend to bring those larger-than-life changes, but we rarely pay attention to the shifts that we experience every day. Perhaps we’re not the same as we were a day before or even a moment ago. But we often dismiss such events because we’re distracted by other things that feel important and larger-than-life.
And yes, it can be challenging to let go of what feels comfortable but you see, when we experience shifts in ourselves, it happens so delicately and organically that it automatically becomes a part of who we think we are right now. It could be uncomfortable at first to acknowledge and accept these changes. It could cause inconvenience to our environment that is used to an older version of who we were but, it settles calmly, eventually with a little bit of gentle patience and compassion.
Reflect – The mind and the body know where and how changes are required. We often receive subtle hints and probes. Since we aren’t keen on change, we often don’t pay attention to what needs to change or we postpone it for later. Sometimes, it can feel like a missed opportunity because we fear change so much. But we are constantly changing. And if we give ourselves a few moments of reflection to see who we are today and who we were yesterday, we’ll be able to understand these changes. The ones that have already happened subtly and the ones calling out on us for our growth. Reflecting is not about fixing anything but merely giving ourselves the freedom to watch ourselves from a different perspective or finally be able to see ourselves without any kind of filters or judgements. The only way to grow truly is to acknowledge the changes that need to be made and the changes that have already been made.
Forgive – To be able to bid farewell to who you were once, requires you to also forgive yourself for the moments you feel you didn’t like yourself much. Whether it’s something you did or said or behaved or believed. Being able to forgive yourself can help you heal and move on in a healthy way and you no longer carry those unhealed wounds with you. It’s the most gentle way to make changes in you that are for your growth and your happiness. Forgiveness doesn’t make you weak but helps strengthen your change. It’s a way to release any and all blocks that need to be released kindly. We aren’t perfect as humans and sometimes change and growth can come with a heavy price to pay that requires us to be forgiving to ourselves. Whatever has happened as a past version of who you were, doesn’t matter anymore. It's okay to forgive and accept the version of you today.
Accept – Sometimes the old pieces of you will stay behind and you get to decide if you’d like to keep them or let go. Guilt of letting it all go can be very powerful and might pull you back into being who you were, but since the change has already happened, you may feel uncomfortable with the old ways. We’re constantly changing and it’s okay to go back and forth while we finally and fully realize that change. It’s okay to accept the mistakes that we could still be making because we’re perhaps operating from the older version of who we were and it might take a minute to readjust. Sometimes we may look for acceptance regarding our changes from the people around us and when that doesn’t come through, we might feel a lack of confidence. But changes happen and sometimes it takes a bit longer for the people around us to accept who we are today. But ultimately, only our acceptance truly matters and makes a difference in our wellbeing. It’s okay to feel tempted by the older version of who we used to be but it’s important to keep accepting by reminding ourselves that this version right now is just as beautiful.
Embrace – Just as it’s okay to miss the older version of us, it’s also okay to fully embrace this version of who we are today. The more we embrace the new us, the more we’ll also go through experiences and come across people who we can connect with. We don’t have to judge ourselves for letting go of certain habits and thoughts and perhaps even people and it’s also okay to allow ourselves to fully embrace our new habits and thoughts and even people. Embracing the new us doesn’t mean we have to let go of what was, perhaps we get an opportunity to look at what was from a very different perspective. And we can realize that we can experience everything from a fresh perspective.
Appreciate – The little things that make you who you really are, doesn’t change that much. At the core we still are who we are and what helps is knowing that when we evolve, the little things that we love about us, also evolve and match up with every version. The more we appreciate who we are and who we’ve become, it’s that much easier to feel good about ourselves. We stay in our reality and we feel good about ourselves. The more we appreciate the changes we’ve made, we can fully live and show up that way. To be able to appreciate who we are invites and creates space for opportunities and possibilities that we’re eager to attract and experience. Appreciation is a big step towards feeling comfortable in our own skin. When we appreciate ourselves, what other people think of it rarely affects us. When we appreciate the changes we’ve made and who we are, when we feel better and comfortable, the noise and criticism fades away.
Encourage – Validation is quite an important aspect of our lives and we are often seeking for validation in some form or the other. Encouragement helps reinforce a pattern or a behaviour and is a way to validate. When we do that for ourselves for the version who we’ve become and we feel comfortable about, we reinforce that in our beliefs, feelings and our energy. We start to build confidence, even if slowly, and we feel like being in this newer version even more. It’s important to also know that sometimes that validation doesn’t come from the people we expect because they’re used to an older version of us and they may unintentionally trigger something that we’ve left behind. This encouragement and validation comes from new experiences and being able to practice being who we are today.
Change is important but also challenging. Being able to recognize what’s happening with us and how we’ve evolved is very subtle and the way we become aware of these changes can also create a huge impact on us. So be patient on this journey. Be kind and gentle. Don’t worry about making mistakes along the way, it’ll only help you become more aligned.
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