Article #Mind & Soul

Embrace progress through breathwork

“Progress is impossible without change.”

- Walt Disney -

I want you to take a look in the mirror - what do you see? An older version of yourself, more wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, the odd gray hair?

What you see is change - perhaps change from the last decade. Age induced and beyond your control...

Now look in the mirror again, do you see a more confident ‘you’ in the reflection? Is someone optimistic, self-assured and happy?

Change evokes a different reaction in each and every one of us. Some don’t like it at all, others actively seek it out.

Regardless of our stance - no one appreciates forced change. We fight it because we feel out of control and the unknown can be a scary place. However, what if taking control, or regaining control was just a matter of perspective?

Change is automatic

Whether we like it or not, change is inevitable. We have no option other than to face it. It is up to us to make the most of it. We must decide how to react and what to do with it.

Think Progress, Not Change

All progress equates to change, but not all change equates to progress. Losing your job is change. Deciding to pursue a career in line with your passions is progress. Progress breeds happiness, gets us jumping out of bed in the morning. It pushes us, motivates, requires work. Unlike change, it’s not automatic.

Progress doesn’t happen sitting on your backside. It requires movement, demands working hours whilst simultaneously pushing you to grow. To become someone capable of dealing with unforeseen problems. In the end, progress will pay you back - tenfold. And it all starts with change.

Change Can Be Distressing, Progress a Blessing

Change, for many of us, is a constant source of worry. This might be evident, for example, with our parents - perhaps the smallest change causes stress.

If you have inherited similar personality traits, you too will start to complain at the first sign of change. Rather than see the positive effects, you immediately find the negative. This is often evident in the vocabulary we use when talking about change; scary, difficult, overwhelming. And can be reflected in our behavior towards those pushing for change; we recoil, resist, or resent.

At that moment when we are faced with or going through change, we have the opportunity to recognize and embrace progress. However, we often choose fear.

When we focus on progress and the excitement it can bring, change suddenly feels a lot less daunting. It's inspirational, inciting action. Our natural sense of curiosity kicks in, allowing us to feel energized as we imagine fun and possibilities. Our mind shifts we have control to create, instead of worrying about, issues out of our hands.