Allowing the Highs and Lows of Life
We all go through highs and lows along our journey in this life, and it can be tempting to resist the flow of change as we navigate the course. We sometimes get stuck in the lows unintentionally, holding onto resentments and pain from the past. Other times, we try our hardest to hold onto the highs for as long as possible because we’re dreading a crash landing into our next low. It can be difficult to let go of expectations around when and how things should happen in our lives, and uncertainty is typically an unwelcome feeling for those of us who prefer to know what’s coming around the next bend. It has taken me a very long time to release control of the reins to allow life to unfold before me, and some days I still struggle to let go of outcomes and accept the fact that my circumstances are everchanging and mysterious. Giving in energetically and allowing the flow of life to occur with as little resistance as possible is the key to riding out the highs and the lows with grace. It is possible to make a home for yourself in the in-between space where things are a bit less turbulent.
If you remove your focus from controlling the high or the low, you can rest at the mid-point of allowing and take necessary actions to move yourself forward from a place of balance. Existing in middle of this spectrum might seem boring to those of us who are used to life feeling like a roller coaster of emotions. Your first steps off of this roller coaster will inevitably feel a bit wobbly and unsure because you’re used to existing in constant motion, and you’ve been holding on tightly for so long that it feels uneasy to move freely. This ride might have made you dizzy or nauseated, and now it seems like the world is spinning even though you’re now on solid ground. Change is hard. Even if your comfort zone was making you sick, it is still the only thing your nervous system knows. You must give yourself time to acclimate to this new environment before you can truly decide what you want to do next. After you accept that the highs and lows of life will occur despite your best efforts to control your circumstances, you must take time to rest and find ways to regulate yourself. Shifting into the mode of allowing is difficult at first, but it becomes easier with every step.
The first step is accepting that whatever is happening right now is necessary for our soul growth. We might not understand or appreciate what is happening, but once we know and trust that it is purposeful, we can find a way to get through it. Once we are living in this state of surrender and acceptance, we can navigate our circumstance with more ease and flow. Good and bad things will always happen to us throughout our lives, and we don’t get to choose when or how they will unfold. Attempting to control our circumstances directly opposes our life path because we are trying to actively create our own reality rather than accepting the path that is laid out before us. This fixation on cultivating a perfect existence where we are always comfortable is in opposition to nature. Life is not meant to be comfortable all the time, and we will never reach a point in life where we are no longer challenged. However, our lives circumstances can improve greatly based on our mindset and desire for self-improvement.
If you can allow yourself to see that the difficulties in your life are shaping you for the next level, you’ll be able to get there so much faster. Seeing the work that needs to be done and taking the first step toward your goal allows you to focus on taking inspired action rather than wallowing in your fears and doubts that are telling you that you’ll always be stuck in your present circumstances. You can change your circumstances in a short period of time if you continue taking steps in the right direction to build momentum. If you change your mindset today and change your actions tomorrow, who knows where you’ll be in a month or a year. Slow incremental change is the key to reaching new heights because every day builds on the one before. You’re not behind, and you’re not stuck. Remove your focus from the past and bring yourself fully to the present. Your power is in the present moment, and it determines what tomorrow will bring. Step into your power today and claim your brighter future by creating it right now.