How To Embrace The New Normal

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

• Alan Watts

Let’s take a moment to imagine a life without change.

We would never see the beautiful colors of fall, we would never witness the growth of a child, and we’d forever miss out on new foods and enlightening places. The moon would never go through its cycle, our ocean tides would never adapt, and our lives would be at a constant standstill.

Change in our lives is inevitable, everything around us is constantly adapting, growing, and transforming. Without change, there wouldn’t be life.

So why can something that is so fundamental to life still be so difficult?

We all have the knowledge that change is foundational to our world, and yet so many of us find it frightening.

Feelings of anxiety and stress around things that are going differently than you expected may arise, and I understand how difficult those feelings are to deal with. However, now (more than ever) is the perfect time to start learning how to embrace the change we’re seeing in the world.

All of this “embracing of change” can seem a bit far fetched. Most people aren’t able to wake up one morning and say, “Alrighty! Today is the day I start loving change. I hope my whole day is thrown out of wack just so I can embrace the unknown!’”

Probably not… right?

Embracing the change is a gradual process, that starts with small steps.

So we’ll start with the first one, and maybe the most important, which is being able to adapt your perspective.

The Importance of Perspective

I was reading an article this morning and it discussed an old Indian fable on how vital different perspectives can be to completely understand a situation.

Here’s how it went:

Four blind men were told that a new creature was brought to town and that they should go examine it and describe its appearance.

The first blind person felt the leg and said it was similar to a tree.

The other felt its large, bulging side and said it was similar to a wall.

One felt its tusk and said it was likened to a spear.

And one felt its tail and was sure that the creature was like a rope.

All four perspectives can be true, but they aren’t able to capture the creature as a whole. Their perspectives are limited, and when you have a limited perspective you aren’t able to see the greater picture.

You can’t tell that the creature is an elephant without taking into account all of the perspectives.

So yes, you can focus your perspective on the negative things that come with this pandemic, like different schedules or not being able to take part in the activities you use to.

Or... you can adapt your perspective by looking at the amazing things that can come from this change as well.

Things like:

• Adapting your schedule to embrace the family time that you now have an abundance of

• Embracing the idea of different workouts and getting creative with your exercises

• Setting apart time to disconnect from technology and try new activities with your family/friends instead

• Sharing chores around the house and seeing them as a collaborative effort

You may not be the most flexible person in the world, and change may be difficult for you. However, by taking things one day at a time you can embrace the change with a positive perspective and find the good in all of this.