A few days ago, I tried to write this blog on adaptation. However, at that time the middle finger of my left hand was in a splint due to a slicing/stitches injury, and after painstakingly typing while adapting to a wonky left hand, the stupid splint hit a wrong key somehow and the whole thing switched to HTML, and I didn’t know how to change it back into regular writing. So, my adaptation at that moment was to ditch the whole thing and try again when the splint was removed!
But that whole scenario illustrated the need for adaptation. We are always having to adapt to something; a new job, new relationship, new fall TV schedule — there’s always something. And we are inherently programmed to adapt. If not, you would still be expecting your mom to spoon mashed peas into your mouth at dinner time. We are always evolving and adapting.
And that’s good, even when it feels bad. Because there are times when we have to adapt to things we don’t like. Loss of any kind is always hard. Loss of a job, a relationship, a pet, a loved one — let’s be honest here, these things are not fun! Even if you know, in the long run, that the loss is ultimately positive, it still hurts in the moment. That job you lost cleared the way for a better one, the relationship that imploded taught you valuable lessons in what you do and don’t want in a relationship, the pet that died was in pain and needed to be let go of. The loved one who passed was ill and not enjoying life anymore.
None of this is happy or fun, and it’s not always our choice to adapt. But, adapt we do. We read the want ads, go on match.com, welcome a new pet into our home. We learn to get along without that loved one in our daily life. We adapt.
And, since this blog is called spirited thoughts, how do our spirits, our souls, play into this? What does your soul do to help you adapt?
Your soul is a piece of Divine. I believe I have used the visual of a disco ball before. God is the disco ball, but our divine souls are individual mirrors on that ball. Or, if you use the example of a crystal, we are each a different facet, a unique expression of Divine. Your soul is your own special connection to and expression of Divine. And it is key in your ability to adapt.
For instance, say you have a new job. You like your new job, but you have to learn all new names and systems and it can be overwhelming, especially in the first few weeks. But, your soul knows that this is the right job for you at this point in your life, and gives you resources to adapt. Maybe you meet someone that first day who becomes a mentor. Maybe you realize that your new job is closer to your gym so it’s easier to work out after work, thereby helping you to relieve some of that new job stress. Your soul doesn’t have to blast trumpets and sing zippity-do-dah to be making it easier to adapt to your new job. Sometimes it is just the feeling of rightness and serendipity you have around your new job that makes for an elegant adaptation.
What about relationships? We’ve all had issues around relationships! Even the good ones call for adaptation. After all, if your “child” is an adult, you no longer treat them as if they are two, ten, or fifteen. Your relationship has to adapt, or your child will avoid you! As to lost relationships, while heartwrenchingly painful, you adapt. You move on. You look at what you may have to change in yourself to avoid similar relationship patterns in the future. You clarify what qualities you desire in the people you let into your inner circle, and you tell the universe exactly what you will and will not accept in the future, while remaining open to new and better. Tough, yes. But do-able. Especially if you acknowledge your soul’s growth in the process.
Of course, that probably won’t happen instantly. Any time you are asked (coerced, forced, etc.) to adapt, you resist at first, don’t you? Most of us don’t like change, don’t want to adapt. The bigger the adaptation, the stronger the resistance. And that’s OK. You’re human. You get you whine, moan, complain, and pout! It’s expected, so allow that process to happen. Then, when you’ve had a chance to vent and you see that venting doesn’t change anything, you can let the adaptation begin!
Let me tell you a little, not-so-secret secret. The more you tune in to yourself, the more you check in with your heart (the seat of your soul), the easier and quicker the adaptation can be. The sooner you ask your heart, “what kind of job, relationship, life am I looking for?” the quicker and more fulfilling the adaptation can be. The more you work with your soul self, the less resistance you have to adaptation and change. The more you let your internal barometer guide you, the more certain you will be when you find the adaptaion that suits you.
You don’t even have to be “spiritual” to do this! You can call it trusting your gut, listening to your heart, or, as Tom Selleck in the old 1980’s TV series “Magnum PI” used to say in his voiceovers, the ”little voice in his head” was telling him something.
We all have trustworthy guts, hearts tuned in to Divine, little voices in our heads that tell us whether or not we are on the right track. We know when the adaptation we are making feels right or wrong, makes us feel better or worse. We just know.
So, whether you are making small adaptation or big ones, trust yourself. Trust your soul. Trust Divine. And know that you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. And, if you aren’t, you can and will adapt to another place, time, and thing. Just take that deep breath and listen to your little voice, feel what your heart or gut is trying to tell you, and know that, no matter what, you are Divinely loved.
In joy and love,
Barbara