Change waits for no one – which is a very dramatic way of saying it’s a powerful catalyst in sparking the need for a little creative realignment.
The spark of change can feel…
Intense, frustrating and unfair – even terrifying when it’s forced upon you,
or…
Scary, overwhelming and intimidating when you are in charge of making the change for yourself.
However change comes into your life, it’s impact requires you do a bit of creative realignment to find new legs, to rediscover your center and tune into the possibilities of a new path that’s not yet laid.
Confusion, fear and loss of direction are all common, but not life threatening. They are just common signposts of change, and an invitation to process what you feel to see how it will lead you to new, more empowering creative paths.
And that’s a good thing, right?
Do you Take the Opportunities Change Offers You, or Skirt Around Them for the Safe Path?
I had a huge opportunity to work on how I deal with change this during the holiday weekend. I was camping with my partner Chuck in the Colorado mountains, and decided to return to camp while he pushed forward to do a short hike on his own.
We had done a bit of trail blazing to get into the woods where we parted ways, so there was no specific path back. I knew the general direction of camp and was using the nearby mountain range of boulders as a point of reference. Yet within about 10 minutes – I felt lost. Very lost. And upset. I even started to panic a little.
The more I pushed forward it felt like I was hiking the wrong way. The scenery didn’t look like I thought it should. I turned back, thinking I would find where we parted ways, and didn’t see anything familiar. I felt myself growing unsure, scattered and very frazzled.
If you could see me from the treetops, I looked like a windup toy that hits a wall, then turns back and forth every time it hits an impassable obstacle.
After about 20 minutes, I stopped in my tracks and told myself to get a grip. I scrambled up a on a few boulders to get a more expansive view, took some deep breaths and talked my emotional self down. Then I started going through practical thoughts as a first step…
If I go back towards the rock mountain face and find where we separated, there’s no guarantee I would meet up with Chuck unless he came back out the exact same way. I had a little food and water with me, and Chuck new the general direction of where I should be, so worst case scenario, I could stay put and he would find me. I also knew he was planning on calling out once he climbed the rock face, and I could try and connect with him that way. Overall I knew I wasn’t very far off from where I should be – and I had options.
With the mental scenarios out of the way, I could focus on tuning in, listening to where my gut was telling me to go.
So I took more deep breaths and started asking myself questions. And I kept asking questions until I got a clear “yes” on a direction that felt right.
As I started walking again, I shut down the thoughts of what the scenery should look like and pushed forward, knowing I needed to trust myself now more than ever.
And after about 10 minutes I found the road, then the trail marker for the camp site.
I walked the last 200 yards to camp in tears, relieved that I found my way, but even more proud of myself for trusting the path I was guided to take when forced to do some creative realignment on the fly.
You Don’t Know What you Don’t Know, So Follow your Heart
It was a very scary experience for me to be physically lost in that way, no one to depend on but myself – but the funny part is that it’s the same type of path laid out before me in my creative work and business all the time.
While I don’t always see the road completely laid out, I feel when I’m moving in the right direction or when something is an energetic match. When I get my mind out of the way, as I did in the woods, I end up exactly where I needed to be. By giving my mind a bit of a creative realignment, my heart could take the reins and guide me instead.
Have you ever had a similar feeling in your life or work? Are there times when you feel overrun by thoughts or unsure of how to take a next step?
If a little perspective sounds helpful, visit some of my services to see how I can support you on your own “trip in the woods.” Looking for ways to reconnect with your creative side in every day life? Check out my Mini Guide for Connecting with your Inner Guidance and Creative Fire.
Photo Credit Ducks: Starfire, Chuck, Me