Yogis embrace this simple truth about all change — first, it gets better; then it gets worse; then it ‘gets’ different. In its simplicity, change is constant and cyclical. The three stages above are milestones with which we can gauge our progress. Stage One involves opening our hearts and minds to what is already emerging and then expanding our awareness to embrace the emerging opportunity. Of course, when something new comes along, it typically requires the gain of new knowledge and skills to navigate the change in which we find ourselves.
Although, we might notice change as something happening outside and around us, don’t fool yourself into thinking that you do not need to change. To integrate new learning, we must change our entire being — physical, energetic, mental-emotional, intuitive, and spiritual. The discipline and practice required to become who we want to be within any change scenario are holistic. Letting go of old habits and creating new ones that better serve who we are necessitates a fine balancing act and considerable effort. No wonder Stage Two is titled Worse. Some authors suggest that 10,000 hours or 10,000 steps are required for competency and integration. This is where the hard work of change takes place. And, this is often where many of us quit or dilute our effort.
For those who graduate from Stage Two into Different, their way of being in the world is forever altered. Different is accompanied by greater wisdom, ease, and contentment. To become Different is to evolve. Stage Three is where we live our mastery. We hold a new deeper sense of self and existence. I think of it as living in our genius. We know who we are, our joyful purpose, and how to share it in the world. My poem below attempts to capture this felt sense of inner and outer change.
Lines in the Sand
At those times when no way back is desired,
a line forms in the sand. Destined to press onward,
fully aware of what can no longer be,
unaware of what will be.
The soul’s tug is strong. Even outer chaotic messages
are clear. An inner reckoning is unfolding.
As witnessed, what feels better is knowing
something new is here. What feels worse is
the promise to be practiced that renders
the old from brain and body while the new abides.
These not-going-back times unearth truth
deep from the bowels of being. The body-mind
convulses, rejects the old, and becomes different.
