10 | I Wish I Could Stop Time (Embrace Change As The Clock Ticks)

There are three types of change in life. First; there's the kind we know is coming but can't stop. Secondly; the kind we make happen ourselves. And thirdly; the kind we can't see coming. In this episode, I look at the first kind and ask how we embrace change - rather than resisting it - as life moves from one season to the next. We cannot prevent the change that comes from time doing its thing. But we can learn to gently release any anxious resistance we might feel towards it. That's what we will do a bit of through this episode as we explore how to embrace change as part of life even when we find the idea of it uncomfortable. Episode ContentsTypes of Change to Embrace | 10:22Ageing (our own and others) | 10:32Evolution of Belonging(s) | 13:32Relationships | 15:46Education | 17:04Work | 19:02What Embracing Change Makes Possible | 21:03Hope and Hopefulness | 21:54Depth | 28:10Clarity and Vision | 28:50Our Best Work | 29:35Perspective and Wisdom | 30:06The Risks When We Don't Embrace Change | 30:43Childish Immaturity | 31:02Shallow Living | 31:47Stuckness and Nostalgia | 32:13Forever Fighting | 38:40How Do You Embrace Change? | 39:06Gratitude | 39:42Move With The Train | 40:22Reflective Preparation | 41:28Anticipatory Grief | 42:11Keep a Record | 45:31What Would a Time Lapse of the Past Year Look Like? | 47:31Conclusion | 49:56 Types of Change to Embrace | 10:22 We had an obsession in the modern world with fighting time. Fighting natural processes and the movement of the seasons. I want to ponder in this episode what could happen if we surrender this need to control, fight, and dominate nature. The dawn signals the emergence of the sun on the horizon. It is coming whether we wish it to arrive or not. Likewise, a few hours later, the sun will disappear and the dusk will take us into the night. To wish for the day during the night and night during the day is to waste our energy and emotion on the unchangeable inevitability. We waste a lot of energy on things we cannot change. And we neglect the things we can. We might also neglect the slow and steady becoming of our lives. Ageing (our own and others) | 10:32 The modern world holds age and ageing in a strange way. We judge it, shame it, and hold it as something to fight. So it's no wonder why we're afraid to embrace change if it's collectively judged so harshly. And it has become an act of rebellion to accept and invite the changes that come from natural ageing. Even though it happens to EVERYONE. All of us. Evolution of Belonging(s) | 13:32 There are other things that naturally change with the passing of time. Communities Maybe you've experienced the evolution of a community you've been part of. Whatever things are like right now is not how it will stay. Communities change as members drift in and out, novel ideas become old, and challenges shake things up. Our resistance to change can mark the beginning of the end. Whereas if we embrace and roll with it, changes can keep a community fresh and moving forward. Products Over time the novelty wears off. We eventually get used to and bored by the things we own. And as newer versions are released, our old product feels tired and outdated. But we can use this awareness to change our relationship with stuff. Bearing in mind that however shiny and exciting something appears right now, over time it will become like everything else. Relationships | 15:46 Relationships change over time. They move through seasons of growth. They might experience periods of stagnation. Change is always present whether we want it or not, so it takes deliberate work to maintain healthy connections with people in our lives. Education | 17:04 There's an episode of Rick and Morty when Jerry is creating a solar system model with Morty and he starts to add Pluto. Morty tells him that Pluto is "no longer a planet." When Jerry confirms this to be true he resists it.