Embracing Change

We are already one month into the new 2022 year can you believe it. Lots has already happened and much change might have occured for you. I thought it would be a perfect topic to talk about this week... yes, that is change.

Change can be a bit uncomfortable and scary in a way that there are unknown aspects that can leave you feeling uneasy and stressed out. It brings a new path in life that we are not sure what lays ahead and it can cause added stress from our daily habits and routines we are so use to. I came across a great article from REAL SIMPLE

Katherine Russell Rich Had a great approach to changing how we look at change. Sometimes our first reaction is to avoid, run away, or think change is a bad thing. One way we can shift how we approach initial change is embracing it. I love the word embracing. in definition, embracing means

To accept or support in a belief, theory, or change... willingly and enthusiastically

Embrace adds a positive aspect to change that we fear and avoid. having a positive lead on change can make us refine the worst of the worst and feel more able to take it on and begin that new unknown path towards adventure and enlightenment.

Katherine Russell Rich dove into ten great tips about embracing change when "head-rattling transformations" take place that I thought would be perfect to cover as we head into the second month of the year and things start to shift and settle.

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Ten Tricks to embrace Change

1- Don't Just Do something...Sit There

When a big change occurs, sometimes we like to go right into fight or flight mode per-say. We jump to conclusions and go into a whirring fluster. almost in a panic. This is a great opportunity to slow down, step back and look inward. look within yourself and take a few deep breaths. time wont tick faster. Be in the present moment and sit quietly to ponder on what the change entails rather than panic. this will allow your body's autonomic nervous system to relax and your mind to clear rather than the abrupt panic mode that will send your body into overdrive. This will help you find clarity and plan your path direction towards your next journey in life.

2- Mother yourself

What does it mean by mother yourself? When we have our regular routines so called "threatened" by change, if can feel like you lose external support and you are on an unstable balance board. Its important when this change occurs to make yourself feeled care for. take your health into account, focus on eating good healthy brain foods to fuel your energy. Be caring to yourself and reach out to some you know you can talk to. You are not alone. Make that time for yourself even if it's 10 minutes or journaling or bathing in the tub. Find something that will relax you and make you feel better.

3- Ignore your inner reptile

There is a know part of out thoughts in our mind called the "lizard brain." This is the thoughts that are concerned with survival. the ones that constantly prod at you with worry and thoughts of "DANGER DANGER!" Especially if you are veered off course. It almost feels like an alarm going off in your head that constantly pings you and seems like you cannot turn it off. Don't worry, there is a secret remot that can dim and ease the alarm to a manageable manor. One way you can look at this alarm mode is by knowing that it is your innate reaction and it is OK that your inner thoughts are going to lizard brain mode. Know that it is human and it's a part of your body preparing for that survival mode. Thank yourself for being there and ready to survive and tell that mode that it will be ok.

4- Silence the inner Know- it- all

It helps not to be too smart. Alton Becker an eminent linguist said

"Smart people don’t like having their minds changed, and to learn a language, you have to change your mind.”

If you are too smart, you can't rethink your possibilities and positions. It almost blocks you from the full adventure and experience from learning from that change and building more self efficacy to take on the change which will help build your resilience to more change in the future.

5- seek out new perspectives

Like stated, change is an experience. It is a part of our human experience and it is bound to happen. One thing you want to make sure you do when change takes place is NOT to filter in just one visual. you want to get a broad perspective of all possibilities. You can do anything you set your mind do. One trick you can do is cultivate the “don’t know” mind; assume you don’t know anything and in that way see the world fresh. This is a great way to approach change―as an opportunity to start anew, to consider all possibilities.

6- Try Something New

Now is the time to explore. without change, you simply would not be able to find new things and evolve over time. Think of change as an opportunity to explore. catch yourself off-guard and see what happens. it can be trying something you have never done before, but it might just lead you to something new and enlightening to your being. It might lead to expanding your horizon with options for success.

7- Be skeptical of common wisdom 

It’s dangerous to live in the aggregate, especially when you’re trying to figure out your next move. Aggregate is a formed collection of particulars into one big mass or conjunction... a big cluster. Look at all the options than putting an option into one big chunk. you can get a pen and paper and write down each option. take it in bite sized pieces and it will then become more manageable.

8- Learn to live in uncertainty 

That anxious feeling does not signal that you’re doing something wrong, only that you’re trying something new. One way to visualise it is if you were on a path and a new road popped out into the horizon. You don't know where it goes, but it's paved and it has your name on it. It is new and might lead you slightly off your main destination, but in the end, all roads will lead you to you ultimate life experience. THat one Road might just be the road that change become the road to adventure and change that is for the good. There might be some stop lights, but they change as well and that evolving change. Even if there's a few stop lights, our beings are incredible at adapting and going with the flow. Take it on as a self building experience.

9- Say "really?" a lot

Katherine says "When you start to turn this sudden shift in your life to your advantage, you might shake up a lot of people, especially the ones who aren’t happy with how they’re living. To them, your efforts to move forward may feel like a glaring searchlight that needs to be switched off and fast." To the assumptions of the terrible results of the things that can happen to you during this change, you can respond by saying "really?" or "Oh Yeah?" ask why and most will respond with "i'm not sure." so it doesn't hurt to give it a try.

10- Shed your old skin

THis is a great opportunity to discard any physical clutter, old ideas, odl routines. Find a new you, a new visual. take a step back and look inward to yourself. stand outside of yourself as if you were someone else and see yourself through another persons eyes. Katherine gives a great example for when she was in Hindi school during her big year of change...

The Hindi school I enrolled in asked me to list my daily requirements. I could honestly have said, “For the past 62 days, I’ve eaten pineapple sandwiches for breakfast: toast, butter, canned pineapple (sliced, not crushed). Bedtime: white-noise machine (surf, not rain), four pillows (two hard, two soft).” Instead I wrote, “None.” It’s only when you have cast off what has been weighing you down that you can finally move on.

Finding simplicity can help refine your mind to think clear and think of it as a fresh start. clearing the drawing board and starting new.

To that Embrace that change. It might seem uncertain at times, but it is what paves your path and creates who you are to this day. I want to touch base on feeding your brain with good nutrition (so called brain foods) as this change can take a lot of energy and thinking. Fueling your mind and body with good nutrients will help you keep clarity and also keep you ready to take on the change and pave your new path to success and enlightenment.

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5 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory

1- Fatty Fish: Includes salmon, trout, albacore tuna, herring, and sardines, all of which are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

About 60% of your brain is made of fat, and half of that fat is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26795198/ ). Your brain uses omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells, and these fats are essential for learning and memory

2- Coffee: If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s good for you.

Two main components in coffee — caffeine and antioxidants — can help support brain health.

The caffeine found in coffee has a number of positive effects on the brain, including:

Increased alertness, Improved mood, Sharpened concentration

3. Blueberries: Blueberries provide numerous health benefits, including some that are specifically for your brain.Blueberries and other deeply colored berries deliver anthocyanins, a group of plant compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects Antioxidants act against both oxidative stress and inflammation, conditions that can contribute to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases (

4. Turmeric: Turmeric has generated a lot of buzz recently. This deep-yellow spice is a key ingredient in curry powder and has a number of benefits for the brain. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can directly enter the brain and benefit the cells there.

5. Broccoli : Broccoli is packed with powerful plant compounds, including antioxidants

It’s also very high in vitamin K, delivering more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) in a 1-cup (160-gram) serving of cooked broccoli. This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for forming sphingolipids, a type of fat that’s densely packed into brain cells

For More foods that are good for our brain Check out the link below:

Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory

To That, I hope you all have a fantastic week and know that change is inevitable, but you can get through it and the community you surround yourself is there for you. Change is a journey and a great opportunity so take it one and become the NEW YOU!

As always...

BE Kind, DO Fearless