72 www . AspireMAG . net | August / September 2024
The ART of
Self-Nurturing
How to Navigate Change
with Grace
BY KELLEY GRIMES , MSW
One thing we can count on in life is change . We often experience change as scary and overwhelming even if we choose it .
Change comes in many forms : a move , new relationship , disappointment , loss , challenging diagnosis , new school year , cycling of the seasons and the moon , aging , and new opportunities .
As we try to make sense of life being different , we often feel unsettled , ungrounded , and deeply uncomfortable . There is a loss of the old way of being that needs to be honored . When we acknowledge the loss that occurs with every significant change in our lives , we can then open to the possibility of something better on the other side . Honoring loss and the emotions that arise are critical for our self-awareness , growth and healing .
Change brings with it an abundance of ambivalent feelings as we let go of what was and embrace life anew .
Feeling out of control and fearful makes navigating change with grace difficult , as we cling to what we know creating more suffering with our resistance . There are times in our lives we may experience so much change that we feel unable to catch our breath before the next wave crashes over us .
72 www . AspireMAG . net | August / September 2024