Making Space for the Unexpected
A Soulful Approach to Change
The only thing constant in the world is change, that’s why today I take life as it comes.
India Arie
We make plans. Life shifts. Again and again.
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the timeline of our lives is rarely linear—and never guaranteed. Health challenges, family changes, financial shifts, downsizing, pandemics—uncertainty has become part of the rhythm of being alive. And while we can’t predict the moment change will knock on our door, we can learn how to meet it with more grace, clarity, and alignment.
Many of us were pushed into transition without warning. Offices closed. Schools shuttered. Our structured routines dissolved overnight. The structures that once shaped our days—commutes, calendars, community—suddenly evaporated. What emerged instead was space. Sometimes overwhelming, sometimes sacred. But always instructive.
It’s in these in-between moments, when the old no longer fits and the new hasn’t yet arrived, that we’re invited into a deeper kind of listening.
The Power of Small Shifts
Adapting to change is like building a muscle. The more we practice, the stronger our capacity becomes. And like any muscle, it doesn’t start with heavy lifting. It begins with the small things:
Reordering your morning routine.
Switching the hand you use to brush your teeth.
Choosing rest when your instinct is to push through.
It might seem trivial, but each micro-shift is a quiet rehearsal for life’s bigger transformations. These small experiments help us build the internal structure to respond, not react—to move with intention rather than scramble in resistance.
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Clearing Space—Internally and Externally
One of the most powerful practices in times of transition is clearing space—not just on our calendars or in our closets, but in our minds, bodies, and spirits.
Physical decluttering often leads to energetic and emotional release. When I take time to clear a drawer or reorganize a room, I often find clarity in a decision that felt cloudy just days before.
Likewise, clearing mental space is a radical act of restoration. Meditation. A walk in nature. A technology fast. These are not indulgences—they’re lifelines. They help quiet the noise so we can reconnect with our inner compass, that sacred GPS that guides us back to what matters most.
Emptying the Cup
There’s a Zen story I love, about a professor who visits a Zen master for tea. As the master pours, the cup overflows. The professor exclaims, “It’s full! No more will go in!”
The master replies, “Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and assumptions. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
The truth is, we cannot receive new insights if we’re too full of what we already think we know. Creating space—literal and metaphorical—allows the next chapter to emerge.
From Reaction to Alignment
When the ground shifts beneath us, our first impulse is often to grip tightly to the familiar. But real transformation begins when we allow ourselves to pause, reflect, and respond from a place of deep knowing.
Ask yourself:
What am I being invited to release?
Where can I create just a little more space today?
What’s one small change I can make to strengthen my capacity for flow?
Transitions will come. Life will shift again. But when we stay connected to our inner truth—when we realign with our soul’s wisdom—we move from reacting to responding with power.
And that’s where true resilience begins.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you clinging to structure that no longer serves you? What might open up if you gave yourself permission to make space?