When change is the only constant
By Giacomo Edifizi
We all face changes every day – whether it is a simple change in the weather, our schedule or the expected change of seasons. Change affects us all and we each deal with it in a different way. It is the only constant in life, the only thing we can be sure will happen. To expect change has brought me hope during challenging or unexpected life events.
This same thought has also brought fear in situations where the last thing I wanted was change. I’ve come to realize it’s not the circumstances or the changes that dictate how my life will go, but rather how I handle those changes and disruptions. No matter the change we experience, how we embrace that change will forever impact how we are able to live with it.
I can’t help but think of my plan to climb a peak every week last summer. That set commitment took a hard turn on July 26th when David and I decided, over some laughs and a beer, to climb the south face of Tom Taylor (a beautiful big granite wall that is uncommon here on Vancouver Island).
As we set off on that exciting adventure, plans didn’t quite turn out the way I expected: we were constantly devoured by relentless mosquitoes and I faired a bad meniscus knee injury on my way down the mountain.
No more big trips in the mountains, no alpine climbs and lots of rest was hard to accept and embrace, so as soon as my knee felt slightly better, I kept going. I decided to avoid big approaches during this recovery period so I went to climb the Grand Wall in Squamish and some other classics. At first it felt okay, but soon the same injury flared up again.
The Creator was reminding me to accept changes as a normal part of life. And so I did, slowly practicing living life with an attitude of gratitude; embracing the change as an opportunity for continued renewal and growth.
I had to let go of my expectations for the summer. I had to let go of my ego. Practice mindfulness and awareness every day. Easier said than done, I know.
That lead me to surgery in January. My knee is now starting to feel strong again and everything is shifting again. As the Tao teaches, “Life is running this grand show all by itself. Life simply lives itself. There’s no notion of ‘doership’ involved. The Earth doesn’t have to get stressed about the momentous task of revolving around the sun. Similarly, rivers don’t stop to ponder their long journey back to the sea and fret about whether they’ll ever actually made it. It just happens.”
Our actions are part of the universe in motion where nothing is really left undone! All we can do is to get with the flow and enjoy the show.
