The ART of

BY KELLEY GRIMES , MSW

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 .