“Change can cause suffering. But in the midst of pain, there is also so much potential for joy and opportunity.”

‘Change is Opportunity’ – Nature Meditations Card Deck

Change is hard and is challenging. It can cause suffering and pain. However, you can discover a lot about yourself when you make it through to the other side.

A short story about change.

Recently, Apple and Disney pulled ads from X after Elon Musk’s response to an antisemitic post. He implied the post was truth, and it upset these major advertisers.

It also upset me, the X user with 219 followers. Little ol’ me made a comment to the post made by The Morning Brew on Instagram about the situation:

“While I didn’t have many connections on X, I can’t continue to be on a platform where the owner supports hate.”

Little Ol’ Me 🙂

Seven people liked the comment and four replied. Those replies reinforced my reason for deactivating my account. While I won’t go into details, let’s just say they were pretty brutal. Three of them I ignored, and the fourth one I decided to respond to. I reinforced my feelings that all hate is despicable and that maybe they and others need to take a pause to figure out why they’re coming for someone who isn’t going to stand for hate no matter what form it’s in.

I started thinking about the pain those people were attempting to inflict, and while I would love to say it didn’t bother me, initially it did. There was a part of me that was like, okay, let’s throw down. I wanted to hurt in the same way I felt hurt, and that’s when I had the ‘aha’ moment.

I took a pause and thought about how I wanted to present myself in this situation. Did I want to be at the same level as my commenters who perpetuated the hate or did I want to respond in a way that reflected who I am?

I chose the latter.

But in the moment, it was hard, and I confess it hasn’t always been that way.

So, how did I get here?

My journey started on July 12, 2015. That’s the day I completed my first guided meditation.

Meditation has had such a profound yet subtle effect on my mindset and interactions with others. It’s hard to explain, because it’s more of a vibe that has simply become who I am.

According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation has several benefits including gaining a new perspective on a stressful situation, building skills to manage stress, increasing self-awareness, and increasing patience.

These are just a few of the overall benefits that we can all benefit from. I definitely have.

It has mostly tamed my Irish temper, and I find I’m more reflective rather than responsive. I’ve been able to think before I act more often.

There are times I catch myself taking a deep breath in tense situations without thinking about it. I’m just doing it.

The closest people in my life would tell you that I’ve always been a pretty chill person, but I feel like meditation has taken that vibe to a deeper level.

It all starts with the breath.

Every guided meditation I complete starts and ends with a focus on the breath. When you are paying attention to your inhale and exhale, your thoughts don’t go to external happenings. You’re not thinking about other things either.

Give meditation a chance.

If it sounds like I’m trying to convince you to give meditation a try, it’s because I am.

But here’s the deal.

It takes time. Lots of time.

Start with the breath. Breathe in and count, “one.” Breathe out and count, “two.” Do this until you get to a count of 10 – five breaths. Then start over again.

It sounds easy, but it isn’t. Thoughts will enter your mind and that’s okay. Let them come in and then float away on a cloud.

Then start counting again. Trust me, you’ll get there.

I’m eight years and counting, and I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I’m still evolving.

And you will too.

Until next time, be well, friends.