Subtle Shifts

Rarely does change occur all at once, despite our human nature to wish at times that it would. Instead, it comes much more often as the product of incremental shifts. With practice in honouring the subtle shifts that occur through transition, there is opportunity to discover a calm peaceful patience in the process of change. We move away from the neediness for result toward curiosity in how things are now.

Now is where real life happens and if real life happens now, then that is the only place where we access joy. We don’t access it in an arbitrary future place and time where the change we desire has occurred. Because if we are not yet there, how can we experience the emotion we are attaching to the change we seek? I remind myself of this because it is an incentive to exercise discipline of mind to pay attention to the subtleties of change and in turn, live more fully immersed in the present moment.

Nature is my favourite teacher of patience through transition. Instead of attachment to a new season and warmer longer days, I’m practicing being in the now by recognizing the tiny shifts. Have I noticed the difference in the light today? In the morning? In the evening? Have I noticed the difference in sounds of the birds when I wake up? Might I even apply this to any change (desired or not) in order to experience transition with a newly discovered Grace?