Age with Grace by Embracing Change

“There’s nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” -Buckminster Fuller

The essence of nature is perpetual change and as a product of nature you are also forever changing. The aging of your body is no different than nature yet when aging begins happening to you, it can feel anything but natural.

As humans we bring a conscious experience to the perpetual change of nature. Instead of letting life and nature grow on it’s own, we’ve learned to mold and shape it through cultivation. In the process of cultivation, we know whether it’s ourselves or our gardens that in order to grow and thrive we have to clear, cut back, and even let things die before new birth can begin.

One of nature's most amazing and magnetizing creatures is the butterfly. The butterfly spends her life in four distinct phases never knowing where the next stage is going to lead. Do you think the caterpillar worries about eating too much? Or what she’ll look like when she becomes a butterfly? Do you think the caterpillar holds onto its identity as a caterpillar? Or fears the attraction it will receive as a butterfly? I guess we’ll never really know because we don’t speak caterpillar or Butterfly, but we can assume the answer is no. The caterpillar allows transformation to occur. She’s willing to let go to make way for the most magnificent expression of its existence – becoming a Butterfly.

As humans, our gift of being more intelligent than a caterpillar gives us the ability to resist our changing bodies and what can be the most fulfilling aspect of our existence – the awareness of our spirit.

Because we have the ability to be aware of change and where it’s headed, we fear it. Fear is not what is damaging. Fear is essential for survival. It’s our resistance to fear and change that becomes damaging to our mind, bodies and spirit.

There are three levels of resistance:

1. Resisting what is inevitable such as change, fear and other emotions. “Decreases energy flow and life force”
2. Resisting resistance by trying to prevent or fix our breakdowns or reaction to what is natural such as change, fear and other emotions. “Traps energy flow and life force”
3. Resisting resistance to resistance by judging our self or becoming fixed in a habit of trying to prevent or fix our breakdowns or reaction to what is natural such as change, fear and other emotions. “Reverses energy flow and attacks life force”

The deeper you allow resistance to become ingrained in your behavior the more you cut off your life force preventing your mind, body and spirit from being balanced, vibrant and well. Resistance can show up as: judgment, regret, negativity, holding back, limiting beliefs, insecurity, second guessing, self abuse or sabotage, addiction or giving up on your dreams or desires.

You can see how the vicious cycle of resistance innocently begins yet spirals into unhappiness, depression, illness or even life threatening disease. When you begin to age, resistance is even more tempting because you begin to have proof that is physically painful giving you even more reason to resist the natural process of life. You can become consumed with the drama happening in your body and if you're not careful allow it to become the only thing happening in your life.

The tricky thing is, you can’t stop resisting because this adds more resistance. My book Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly guides you to “undo” what’s been done allowing you to not only heal what’s causing your resistance but also balance your mind, body and spirit and discover your true self.

The practice of Life Cultivation I teach, guides you to replace judging your aging with observing your aging, opening up your ability to embrace what is ageless and timeless – your true self. You can replace the word aging with changing. Instead of having an aging body you can create a forever changing mind, body and spirit. Begin to love yourself and trust life knowing if you embrace your changing body you will release your inner butterfly, get your life force flowing and enliven your body.

You can recreate your aging experience with the following visualization:

“Begin to breathe in allowing your body to relax and settle. Let your current experience of aging reveal itself in the form of a movie so you can observe it. See your body and how it’s changing, notice your mind and the thoughts you’re sending to your body and feel your spirit. Now you’re going to connect with the butterfly within you. See her beautiful wings and as she moves her feel your body awaken. Ask your butterfly what she needs from you to be fully expressed? Now ask her what you need from her so you can express yourself and live life more vibrantly. This is the foundation for your new experience of aging. Write what you experienced in your journal capturing the essence. Then using the words “I am” continue to write what you want your experience of life to be from this moment on.”

Ultimately what you experience at any age is up to you. You can resist aging and in turn resist life or you can age with grace, lovingly embrace your body and allow your spirit to emerge.nnnn© Bring U to Life, Inc. For more articles like this and guidance to thrive in every aspect of your life from home, work, love, body, soul and money visit www.bringUtolife.com or click http://www.bringutolife.com/become_member.html to join our free membership and receive a free e-book or visit Cindy’s blog at www.cindysilbert.com. You may also contact me at cindy@bringUtolife.com to explore coaching and to learn the practice of Life Cultivation. My book Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly is available on Amazon.com.