21 Day Spring Cleanse: The Desire For Change

In the midst of this Spring Cleanse, I thought I'd write a short letter of encouragement to those of you who are trying to make some kind of positive change in your life.

And yes, I'm going to get metaphysical here, so hold on to your hats.

If your desire to change comes from an undeniable and authentic yearning in yourself; if it is something that is ever-present in the back of your mind and pops up from time to time to remind you that it hasn't left, then consider yourself fortunate. Listen to it. It's your truth. Allow it to guide you.

The change you're desiring might not happen in the time frame you want it to. It might not play out the way you were hoping for. It might look and feel completely different, which isn't a bad thing. It might make you consider options you hadn't before and widen your world in ways you could of never imagined. Be open.

Change isn't easy. It can bring up lots of fear and we can distract ourselves so easily with food, alcohol, sex, drugs, social activity, the internet, gadgets, TV and a million other ways. So, if you take some not-so-healthy diversions from time to time, big deal. You're not bad, you're human. We all do it. And by the way, it is a huge waste of time to beat yourself up, not to mention completely undeserved. It breaks my heart to think of all the time I wasted by being so mean to myself.

You know, I had this career not too long ago and I was completely self-taught. I had no prior experience, no one to show me how anything was done. I was great at it, a real natural. I worked very hard and was always striving to be better, but you know what got in my way? I was always comparing myself to everyone else. I was always trying to figure out what they were doing so that I could do it, too. I never fully trusted in my way of doing things. I had great ideas but denied them too often by looking outside myself for answers.

What I'm trying to say is this: Trust in your ideas and your way of doing things. Don't deny, devalue or be afraid of your ideas and strengths because they don't jibe with the status quo or because they don't look like anyone else's. That's a good sign! That's what the world needs more of! Trust in it. And stay connected to that inner yearning, that voice, whatever it is.

In my humble estimation, the single greatest thing we can all do right now is to become who we really are. To begin to shed those skins that no longer align with what we truly want or who we want to become. To be free from the past and old, knee-jerk responses and trusting in fresh, new life and new ideas.

This Spring cleanse is symbolic of new life and new ideas. It also offers an opportunity for change. But like I said before, what I'm attempting to provide here is simply an outline. This is my process but you are free to use it, riff on it, make it your own.

I was compelled to write this, not just for you but also as a reminder to myself. We all need a little boost every now and then, right?

Thank you for being here.

Dana Joy