How to: navigate (big!) change

Let me ask you a question.

Have you ever changed your life when you hit a "tipping point"?

Where you sat in a situation and put up with it for SO. LONG. that eventually, you knew, something had to change?

Yup. I feel you. 

And I...was very stubborn! 

For me, I RESISTED that change with every fiber of my being.

Why? Because change is hard. Change is scary. Change shifts your world on its axis. 

But change can be necessary. 

And change comes with GIFTS. (We'll get into those!)

But first...I want to talk about what leads to change.

One of the biggest changes in my life was, in part, inspired by a woman I'd worked with.

To be very honest -- everything about her triggered me.

There was a deep lack of boundaries, consistent misinformation, mismanagement, inappropriate and hurtful comments, elitism..for years. 

At first? I tried ignoring it. 

Then, I would address it -- even directly, with her.

Later, I would enlist help and guidance of those that managed me (and her). 

Nothing helped. In fact, it grew worse over time. 

And I was told the solution was that I needed to "manage up". 

Which didn't help either, because she didn't respect me.

After doing literally everything in my power to make the madness stop, and when I'd started to see that I was perpetuating a negative cycle over and over...

I told my boss I was quitting. 

It was an extremely difficult moment. My stomach was in knots. But it had to be done.

This very trigger set me on an intense and fulfilling path of healing and getting to know myself in a way I never had before.

Now? I'm actually grateful to that woman for triggering me so deeply. 

I am. It took a while to get there, but I can say that now.

The people that trigger us are a GIFT. 

We may not see it in the moment, but you can looking back on it. 

They are our greatest mirror. 

I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. 

This woman showed me where I had a severe lack of boundaries... 

(*cough* former people-pleaser)

Where I wasn't being clear in expressing what I needed. 

Where I let inappropriate comments affect me. 

Where I wasn't being kind or honest to myself. 

Where I was hurting myself by staying in an environment that didn't serve me. 

Where I didn't respect myself. 

All of things she did that I didn't like were lessons to show me what I was ALLOWING in my life. 

She showed me that it was time to change.

Ok, so...how do you know you're on a path that's requiring a deep, big change? 

Or... that you have already started to transform?

Sometimes big life shifts are brought on by a major life altering event -- a crisis, a health condition, a death of a loved one --- or maybe you just reached a tipping point. 

Welcome to chaaaaange, my friend.

So ok, you've decided to accept the path of BIG CHANGE! Amazing!!

You are on the way to life-changing transformation.

But now what? It feels so freakin' scary. Uncomfortable. Unfamiliar.

Here's a secret...

Ready?

...

...

...

THE UNIVERSE GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS WHEN YOU ACCEPT BIG CHANGE.

mmmmhmm. 

You may be thinking -- yeah, right, Kristina...but hear me out. 

Read each one of these and tell me in the comments at the end if you haven't felt these, ok?!

Let's go.

Superpower 1: Awareness:

You know something is changing within you when you start to see your own self differently.

When you look at your life from a bird's eye view and see things from a new perspective.

When you are aware of situations with a greater sense of compassion and kindness for yourself and others.

When you notice a greater sense of curiosity about WHY it is happening. 

When you start seeing the present situation for what it really IS -- you're stepping out of fear.

Awareness also leads to examining how you react to something.

It's the fork in the road -- choosing a different path.

It's choosing a different reaction. 

Or having no reaction to something at all.

It's seeing people for who they TRULY are, and maybe removing those lovely rose-colored glasses. 

It's like you suddenly have this deep sense of knowing and... you're honoring it. 

You start questioning your own priorities and ambitions, and discover that you have a longing for a deeper purpose in life. 

This is the gift of awareness, my friend! Yay!

Follow the gentle nudges you're receiving. 

If ever you're in doubt that you possess this gift -- just observe for a day.

That's it. 

Your feelings. Your thoughts and patterns. Your reactions to things. 

And you'll realize that you are stepping into a greater sense of awareness effortlessly, just by observing. 

Yes, you are THAT powerful. 

Superpower #2: Heightened Intuition

Have you ever had this GUT feeling about someone or something... 

...and it turned out to be right?

Have you been experiencing intense déjà vu' or weird breakthroughs and epiphanies about things in your life? 

Or maybe it's noticing synchronicities, repeating numbers or signs...

The same song pops up everywhere. 

Welcome to your next superpower, my friend. 

Your intuition is incredible. 

Think of a situation where you had a nudge about something. 

A gut reaction. 

Good, or bad.

And you followed it -- and it led to an outcome where you thought -- HA! I was RIGHT!

That's it! That's your intuition in action. 

In workshops I often teach people psychometry...they bring an object and allow others to hold it to get a feeling of who owned it before.

They hold someone's else object and are able to discern what that person was like, what energy they brought to the object (pictures and jewelry are frequently used objects, but I've seen some interesting stuff!). 

I ask: "Does it feel heavy, or light, to you? Hot, or cold? Happy? Sad?"

And it allows a person to "tap into" that item with their intuition. 

And every. single. time. people are amazed at their own abilities to discover things about other people's cherished items, things they were not told. 

But just...intuitively knew. 

Try it for yourself! Go look at an old photo of a friend or a relative, and you'd be amazed by what you "pick up" just by using your intuitive superpowers. 

The key here is -- TRUST yourself. You aren't wrong!!

You're amazing. 

Superpower #3: Greater Authenticity

The path of BIG change often brings about this as its BEST gift -- authenticity.

To me, it's a sense of self-worth.

Of deeper confidence. 

It's seeking to rely less on what others think, but more on your inner sense of satisfaction for the choices you make.

It's being free to be YOU. 

That you don't have to hide who you are, or pretend to be something or someone.

That you are loved as you are -- your whole self. 

Your weird self. Your spiritual self. Your quirky self. 

Whatever it is -- you OWN it. 

You are free to be yourself. 

To be brave. To be vibrant. To be different. 

And to just BE.

This gift may come with a sense of questioning everything it was you knew before, and even some of the people in your life, but that's ok. 

You will find what is personally true for you, and it doesn't have to look like what is true for anyone else. 

Your authenticity is what makes you magnetic. 

It brings the best possible people into your life that love you exactly as you are. 

It magnetizes the best opportunities and possibilities because it resonates with your deepest sense of self.

It shows you that YOU are magic. 

And you are. 

I believe in you!

You have the power to make a difference -- just by being yourself. 

So...wherever you find yourself, trust that there is a reason for every change that's happening.

Trust that the more you honor yourself, and these great gifts, the more surefooted you will feel with every change.

As my mentor, the wonderful Clare Bredell always said:

"Trust that the universe didn't bring you this far to drop you on your face."

And please, trust that beautiful self of yours.

Please show the world the TRUE you. 

You are capable.

You are intuitive.

You are respected.

You are powerful.

You are brave.

You are worthy. 

You are limitless. 

Embrace the change. You got this!