How to Create Meaningful Change

By Lisa Guyman . . .

In my January meditation class in Michigan one of my students shared this quote with the group: “The problem isn’t the problem. The problem is your attitude toward the problem.” Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a fantastic Black Pearl of wisdom because it is so true!

It’s our attitude and perspective towards our goals or situations that either make them a problem or an opportunity. This applies to about 99% of the situations in our lives. A problem could be defined as stress, crisis, dissatisfaction, lack of contentment or anything that gets in the way of us achieving our dreams and our goals.

How to Create Meaningful Change:

1.  Inquire Within – Self inquiry allows us to assess our lives and make course corrections. Ask yourself what isn’t working in my life (the problem) and ask yourself how am I perpetuating the situation or the stress around the situation.

 2.  Release Resistance – In releasing resistance (any thinking that says “this shouldn’t be happening” “this shouldn’t have happened” or “this should have happened”) and “co-operating with the movement of life” (as Eckhart Tolle says) we can get on board with what it is. Right! Fighting against a situation in the mind doesn’t make it any better or solve anything. Pushing the river or resisting the flow of it just tires us out, but the river keeps flowing. And just because we get on board with “what is” doesn’t mean that it takes away the impetus for change – it just makes the process much less arduous.
Tip – Ask yourself how do I release resistance to this situation? Sometimes it is a matter of bringing our attention to the present moment. Experiment with letting go of the story (about the past and stressful thoughts about the future). And right now just bring your awareness into your body, into the now. The mind can be in the future or the past but the body can only be in the present. And in the present (without our story or accompanying stressful thoughts) everything is usually just fine.

3.  Change Your Perspective – When we change our attitude toward a situation we can transform it. As Wayne Dyer says “when the way we look at things change, the things we look at change.” In Chinese the word crisis also means opportunity. I met someone recently who had to uproot suddenly and move across the country and what started out as a crisis turned into an opportunity for her to re-establish herself and step her dream up.

Tip – What advice would you give a loved one facing your situation? Give that advice to yourself. Perhaps even write that advice on a piece of paper and post it. It’s amazing how wise and level headed we can be when we step back from a situation and gain perspective.

4.  Formulate Your Intentions and Desires – What do you want to address, change or create? Formulate this into in a positive affirmative statement or statements (if working on multiple intentions or areas for change). Then read your present tense affirmation(s) and keep tweaking them until you feel good when you read them. Then silently repeat your intentions to yourself three times in a row before going to sleep, first thing in the morning, before meditation or whenever it feels best. Doing this will support you in manifesting your desires.

Tip – Trust that the seeds of intention are taking root. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t dig into the dirt and check on the seeds. Just nurture them (repeating the intentions) and water them (take action) and trust.

5.   Take Practical and Non-Linear Actions & Align Action with your Intentions – In our culture we are taught to make a plan, chart a course of action and work hard until we accomplish our goals. Eastern thought is more holistic and may read like this: set and nurture intentions, take actions that resonate with you, let go of the how and the specifics, release attachment from the outcome and be open to different possibilities, to synchronicity and to quantum leaps. Which would you rather do, work extraordinary hard or work with the power of intention and aligned action?

Of course you’ll want to take actions that are practical and continue doing so on a consistent basis. And yet leave enough room in your life for creativity, for possibility and for things to come together in an unexpected and promising way. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said “once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Tip – There are also times it is more challenging to get motivated. So don’t. Either do something different or just simply start the task (motivated or not) and often once a task is begun the energy springs forth.

Also, sometimes the right path of action is essentially non-action and it’s more about letting go than creating! I recently realized a relationship with a certain acquaintance in my life was no longer working for me and what I realized was that I was the one primarily keeping that bond alive. As we grow some things that fit with us before no longer feel right. So allow yourself to align with who you are and who you are becoming. We don’t have to continue on a path just because we started on it….that’s why there are forks in the road!

Wishing you alignment with who you truly are and what you truly seek.

Lisa