“No man steps in the same river twice.”

“No man steps in the same river twice.”

—Heraclitus, Ancient Greek, pre-Socratic, Ionian philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Roma Ryabchenko

When you examine the pace of change in your life, what do you see?

When you look at your various communities, where do you notice small, subtle changes? Where are the tectonic shifts far more noticeable?

Just as a river changes its flow and its course over time, our lives are always flowing from one day to the next. To fight or resent such change is like grabbing a handful of air.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently upset and angry about the course of your life?

Where are you trying to paddle upstream against the currents of change?

How can and will you instead step into the new river of each day, embracing and influencing your journey?

 

“Does refusing to go to the gym count as resistance training?”

“Does refusing to go to the gym count as resistance training?”

—Author Unknown

Image of a guy in bed early morning

Image from Unsplash by Julie Johnson

How much sleep do you get on a typical night during the week? What about the weekends? For most people I know, the numbers vary considerably.

Yesterday morning, my body woke at the normal time, but given it was the weekend and I was extra tired, I passed up my morning workout and went back to bed for two more hours of needed rest.

My resistance to going to the gym was completely appropriate given that I needed more time to refresh and recharge after a full work week, which had already included numerous visits to the gym.

EXERCISE:

Where do you push, stretch, and challenge yourself to grow and expand your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual potential?

Where might stepping back and saying, “NO” to some of these growth opportunities be the best choice, needed to progress optimally through your life?

Resisting Change

“One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain.”

-Rick Godwin, Megachurch Pastor

Dice spelling "change"

Image from Flickr by Sebastien Wiertrz

Where are others in your personal or professional worlds experiencing modest, or even significant change?

Take the time to look deeply into their reasoning—on the surface, and at a deeper level.  What negative or undesirable future will come about due to the changes? What do they expect to lose as a result? What feelings and emotions are associated with such thinking? Where would greater understanding and empathy be helpful?

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom would the recognition of the potential impact of change become a first step in looking at what gains may come from the situation?