I need to change, I thought to myself as I slipped into my frothy, pink, raspberry-scented bubble bath.

I have had that notion so many times before, but this time it felt so different: less drastic, less dramatic, less desperate.

In the past, I had always come to this conclusion after some extreme shock, betrayal or disappointment. This time, however, I had come to the realization of needing to change just from noticing that I felt slightly off balance.

This is so powerful, I thought to myself.

To embrace change when our worlds are not crumbling and cracking around us can be a completely new experience.

To be able to see the need to make adjustments without coming from a desperate place can feel amazing. It can feel like such progress, in a rather unexpected way.

In the past, I would allow myself to get so far off track before I would realize anything was amiss in my life. So, for me, seeing the need for modification before getting to the insane, soul-crippling, dramatic point really means something:

It means I am more in touch with myself.

It means I am getting better at practicing self-care.

It also means that I still value working on myself.

There are folks that have done a ton of work on themselves. They have overcome numerous obstacles and are now able to live happy and fulfilled lives. It is an amazingly beautiful thing.

But, then they stop working on themselves.

Why stop there?

I believe that we should never stop changing, transforming and working on ourselves.

There is always, always, always something new to see. Every single day. Just the fact that it’s a different day and a different moment can bring up new material for us to work with.

The assumption that we know everything about ourselves or that we are static individuals means that we are closed off to knowing ourselves at the deepest levels.

How do we know how many layers there are inside of us?

I have a hunch that these more subtle changes are like the accents on a painting. But these seemingly small touches can alter the entire feel of the piece. Maybe adding these final, subtle brush strokes makes the piece more complete. Maybe it makes our picture of ourselves a little more complete.

And, I don’t know about others…but I very much wish to take advantage of this crazy life and learn as much as I possibly can about myself: the good, the bad, the horrible and the wonderful.

I want to explore every single layer.

There is no need to let ourselves veer completely off course to take action. For those of us who have undergone more intense, explosive transformations, it can be incredibly powerful to experience that change can also be more delicate and refined.

Join me and let’s immerse ourselves in the beauty of subtle change.

Make those small adjustments now. Make them today.

Don’t ever stop.

 

 

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Apprentice Editor: Yaisa Nio / Editor: Travis May

Photos: Biak Kuale / Pixoto