Saying Yes to Change

Book excerpt: Break free from limitations and become self-empowered by saying "Yes" to change The pain and loss associated with change results in the temporary loss of our habitual identity, or false self. The false self is an idealized image of who we are, adopted in childhood to ease the fear associated with possible rejection and lack of love. When this ego self shatters during intense periods of change, a period of great opportunity opens up. It’s easier to become vulnerable and real, which can lead to a taste of true nature. When loss makes it clear that the false self can’t make us happy, but that our true nature is always accessible, motivation to work toward self-realization increases. This is one of the most precious gifts of change. Change is both scary business and an inescapable fact of life. Everything is impermanent and eventually passes away. Some changes are natural, like aging through the lifecycle. Others are sudden and catastrophic, such as illness, bankruptcy, or the death of a loved one. Change is an opportunity to shed the limitations of the lower self and be reborn to the higher self. This book is an inspiring and practical guide to that process, incorporating personal stories, cutting-edge psychological research, and the perennial philosophy of the world’s great wisdom traditions. This book includes a link to an audio download which is a body-based mindfulness meditation that guides you in developing moment-by-moment awareness and honoring emotions and other experiences without attachment as they arise and pass away. The audio is suitable for daily use both by beginners and experienced meditators.