"The only thing that is constant is change" Heraclitus....I don't usually go around quoting ancient Greek philosophers, but the truth in that statement often underlies many of the challenges we face in life. It is human nature to seek predictability and control, but life is never static. If we can accept that change is expected, we can be more prepared to manage the curves that life throws our way.
It is easier in some ways when we choose to initiate change....maybe we choose to move to a new town or city, maybe we get married, maybe we decide to open our own business. We have more control when we can anticipate the change, but even then there are unknown variables. There will always be things that we cannot control or predict. So what do we do? What if we do the opposite of human nature.....what if instead of trying to control and predict everything, we embrace and accept the concept of change? We often struggle to keep things the way there are because it feels safe but that struggle may be what causes us to feel depressed, anxious, angry, overwhelmed....well, you get the idea.
If we approach change from a mindful perspective or an acceptance perspective, we take back control rather than feeling like we are just a passive bystander. By accepting that change will happen, we stop fighting it and become a participant. By using mindfulness, we allow ourselves the opportunity to recognize that this is just a moment and we should not get stuck in that one moment because change will happen and the next moment will begin. I like the analogy of skidding on ice. When we start to skid, our instinct is to fight it and turn the wheel suddenly or break hard; however, if you do that, what happens? The car goes more out of your control. If you go with the skid.....you can take back control. If you fight it, it gets worse. If you go with it, it resolves. So I suggest that we approach change the same way. Go with it, embrace it and don't be afraid of it. Change will always happen but we don't have to feel threatened by it. We can use it to our advantage and let it lead us into the next moment. Ironically, by acknowledging that change is constant, you take what is inherently unexpected and make it expected.