I’m a bit of a storm junky. I loved watching the storms roll in on the farm where I grew up. When rainstorms approached, there would be this eerie calm where not a breath seemed to exist. The air felt heavy and dense, almost electric. There’d be a cold rush of wind as the front moved in – it would either gently build or sometimes strike fast and fierce. Then the dark clouds would settle across the landscape and the rain would begin.
I pay attention when I hear storms happening around the US. When I see hurricanes make landfall, I’m reminded how much change can feel like a storm – the sudden change to your daily life, the uncertainty about what happens next, and the feeling of having no control over the outcome.
At the very least, storms bring rain or snow.
They can also bring high winds and flooding and have the potential to knock down trees, destroy buildings, and disrupt lives.
No matter what they look like, they bring uncertainty and set change in motion.
Change in our lives can be something we choose like starting a business, getting married, or buying a house. Or it can be forced upon us like the loss of a job, a car accident, or health issues. Change is unsettling because we don’t know what to expect. Sometimes it feels exciting and sometimes it’s scary.
One thing that always makes change feel more unstable is when we choose to cling to the past. Once a change is set in motion, it requires letting go.
But it’s hard to let go of old patterns because there’s comfort in continuing on the path you already know – even when it’s not working for you.
When we fail to let go, it can feel like we are on the outer edges of a hurricane. The winds are fierce. The way forward is unclear. We try to cling to the past because of that familiarity. Letting go and stepping into the unknown can seem much worse than trying to ride out the storm.
But if we can let go and embrace change, we can move to the center.
Like the eye of a hurricane, it’s calmer.
It doesn’t mean the change is over. The process of change is still unfolding. However, at the center, you can observe what is happening around you.
You can see what no longer serves you and you can step into new opportunities. And in this clarity . . . is the way forward.
So the next time you find yourself knee-deep in change and the anxiety starts to build, ask yourself . . . what you are clinging to?
How might you find your way to a calmer place if you simply let go of the past and accept change is happening?
Sometimes facing the change head-on becomes the most peaceful way through it.
Because in the end, the storm always passes.