Barack and Hillary have been telling us lately that "Yes we can." I agree. The question is, will we? I am not talking about political change. I am talking about the daily stuff of life such as finding a new purpose after retirement, losing weight and embracing new interests.

My work as a specialist in the management of change is to guide people and organizations to go from their current reality to their desired future state. After 30 years in the business, I can tell you with certainty that change is difficult for most people. I am sure that is not a surprise for you.

Even the good stuff—the birth of a grandchild, the relocation to your dream house, the finding of your perfect mate—produces ripples of energy that have us counting our blessings one moment and ready to run out the back door the next. Yet, most of us are seeking "More." It doesn't matter whether we want more money, more love, more power, more health or more self-mastery. Our desire for change seems to be in our DNA. So why do we fight the very thing that we say we want?

Some people would say that we need more motivation, will power, discipline or better time management. I am not convinced. Over thirty years of aikido, meditative practice, and energy awareness training has taught me that there are specific laws of nature that affect us all. Consider this change principle. Whenever there is a job or task to do, energy moves through your mind/body to help you do the job. For example, if you are healthy and the job is to stand up, you will not even notice the extra energy that moves through your system to help you rise. However, if you are infirmed, the amount of energy necessary to stand will be a great deal more. The bigger the job, which often depends on your perception and skill, the more energy is required. If you resist the increased energy, which I call pressure, you experience tiredness, discomfort, stress and/or disease. However, when you open to it, you feel energized, happy and confident.

Think about the speeches you have given, the times you asked your boss for a raise, the moments you stepped up to bat at a big game, and you will relate to what I am saying. I call the process of resisting energy the "180 degree turn." One moment you are moving in a certain direction only to find yourself spun around heading in the opposite direction. This happens to all of us, yet, if you want the "More" in life, you need to stop fighting the energy of change. How do you do that?

1. Don't believe everything you think. Your mind will con you. Do what you say you want to do, especially if you don't feel like it.

2. Reframe. Recognize that your resistance is just a sign that more aliveness is coming into your system to help you do the job. Say "YES!" to it.

3. Move. Take a walk, stretch, sing, or anything physical that helps you re-center and open your mind/body system.

4. Get as big as the job. Allow the pressure of change to move through you with ease. Energy outflow produces aliveness, joy and high performance. Imagine, like the sun, you radiate 360 degrees around you.

–Aimee Bernstein will be leading a women's retreat on Sanibel Island, Florida during the last weekend of October. To learn more, visit to her website: openmindadventures.com.

EMAIL PRINT

posted at 01:33:45 PM