There's Beauty in Change: Overcoming the Fear of the Unknown

Yesterday was the first day I was able to walk in about 10 months. I had experienced a health event that left me with an undiagnosed Lyme infection and a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, which affected my ability to walk due to inflammation, pain, and extreme fatigue.

I wasn’t sure if I would be able to walk or even how far. A normal walk for me prior to this event was between 5 and 7 miles, sometimes more on a weekend. As I helped my grand pup, Atticus, into my car to make the 2-mile drive to the walking trail at Wolf Run, I contemplated whether I would even be able to manage it.

I pulled into the designated parking area, sat in my car for a brief moment, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. As I looked at the trail in front of me, I made a decision. It wasn’t about how far I walked and comparing it to what I used to be able to do (a known); it was about the now, the present, and the healing process. The distance today wasn't about physical limits, but about how far I have come in my healing. The fact that after 10 months I finally had some answers, was making progress, and saw my previous limitations diminishing daily was a victory in itself.

Through intuition that I have learned to trust, I did research to validate what I felt were the causes and effects of my diagnoses. With intention, I used the tools that I recommend to others and rely on myself to make amazing changes to my mind, body, and spirit: HRV breathing, guided meditation, subliminals, and self-hypnosis—always feeling emotionally the end result in the present moment.

I got out of my Chevy Trax and helped Atticus out to begin the walk. Right away, Atticus began pulling, which strained my body. I faltered for a moment from the pain and felt a brief second of fear that I couldn’t do the walk. I stopped myself and the thought. Again, it isn't about the distance. I corrected Atticus’s behavior and we made our way across the road onto the trail.

As I began walking, I noticed the smell of approaching autumn and leaves already falling on the trail. I also noticed some butterflies, and a profound realization downloaded into my core being as I looked at the changing leaves and the butterflies. I heard the words in my subconscious as loud as if a person were standing beside me: There is beauty in change.

I smiled to myself. Indeed, there is. Humans are conditioned to be afraid of the unknown. It’s a survival tool rooted in the primitive mind. This is why it is so difficult for people to make changes in their lives and reach goals, even when the change is positive and the current situation is detrimental or unwanted.

If we could view change as something beautiful, how different would our approach be to reaching the goals and making the shifts we truly desire?

What if the caterpillar viewed the unknown as something to be feared? Would it ever become a butterfly? No, the caterpillar follows its inner knowing, lives in the present, follows the cues of its body, nature, and spirit, and allows the process to unfold.

What if the trees viewed autumn as an unknown, frightening death? They would never understand that the changing seasons bring profound wonders:

• Winter: The stillness and quiet that allow for rest under a blanket of snow, which provides essential water, quiets the forest, and gives animals and humans a much-needed pause.

• Spring: The blooms pushing through branches, calling birds home, while waking animals and abundant new life help the forest prosper.

• Summer: Playtime and enjoyment of abundant food sources, with green leaves full of chlorophyll feeding the trees, turning CO2​ into oxygen, and helping the earth breathe.

• Autumn: A display of brilliant colors—which is actually a sign of stress as leaves die and fall—proving that even amid the distress of the unknown, there is immense beauty. Acorns, pinecones, and falling leaves carpet the forest floor to supply vital nutrients.

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As I continued walking slowly but with intention, I still felt pain, which made it more difficult than my past walks. But I smiled because I was walking, rather than lying in bed paralyzed by fatigue and pain. I breathed in deeply, took in the autumn scent, noticed the sunrays dancing through the canopy to create beautiful patterns on the trail, listened to the creek trickling, enjoyed the birds singing, and appreciated the wildflowers.

How do you overcome the fear of the unknown to make lasting changes?

1. Acknowledge that you have fear. Most people don’t recognize that fear is what is happening. The fear that occurs is actually your subconscious mind trying to keep you safe. You may not realize you are in a fear state, but anytime your subconscious mind feels threatened, it triggers self-sabotage as a primitive instinct. We need to understand that mechanism, quit blaming our lack of willpower or motivation, and recognize where it truly originates.

2. Understand that there is beauty in change. Consider examples like the caterpillar and butterfly or the seasonal cycles of trees to validate that fear of the unknown is simply a conditioned viewpoint deeply engraved in your subconscious mind. Once you grasp that, it lessens its grip, and change becomes much easier.

This is where the hypnosis process becomes a valuable tool. Using your own words, desires, and anchors, a hypnotist helps you bypass the analytical mind, quiet the subconscious mind, and lock in the changes you want to make so that your subconscious mind accepts them and builds the new neuropathways required to sustain them.

If you are ready to explore seeing the beauty in change, book your consultation with me today.