How Change Awakens Our Inner Life
There’s a rhythm to life that mirrors the seasons. Each spring, the world around us unfurls in quiet, radiant awakening. Buds break through the last vestiges of winter, the air smells of possibility and there’s a subtle whisper in the soul, reminding us that life is always renewing itself. And yet, while nature effortlessly shifts into this state of aliveness, many of us are still wrapped in the frost of our own thinking, clinging to patterns that no longer serve us.
I have spent decades exploring this dance between inner stillness and outer motion and one truth has become crystal clear: Wellbeing is innate. It is not something we acquire through effort, achievement, or self-improvement programmes. It is the foundation beneath all human experience, the ever-present spring beneath the layers of thought. And when we allow ourselves to truly feel this, rather than simply think about it, life changes in ways that are profound, subtle and wonderfully liberating.
I remember a moment, many years ago, when this understanding began to unfold gently for me. I was walking through my neighbourhood, as I often did, but that day, my body felt heavy and depleted. I had noticed my exhaustion earlier, yet I kept going, believing I should walk because it was the “right” thing to do. Eventually, I found myself searching for a place to rest. Sitting down on the pavement, panting, sweat on my brow, I became aware of a familiar tightness in my chest – the kind that arises when we try to bend life to fit our expectations, when we worry about all that we haven’t yet done or achieved. And in that quiet pause, amidst the discomfort, I felt something else too: A subtle, unspoken calm beneath the tension, as if life itself were reminding me that my wellbeing had never left me – it had simply been waiting to be noticed.
This is the essence of awakening to our innate wellbeing. It is not about fixing ourselves. It is not about trying harder, being better, or accumulating more experiences, possessions, or accolades. It is about feeling what is already present beneath the surface of our thoughts: the serene, unbounded presence that is our natural state.
Spring is a perfect metaphor for this process. Just as the earth sheds the heaviness of winter, we are invited to shed the weight of our habitual thinking patterns – the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, what we should be doing, and what we must accomplish to feel complete. There is an elegance in this letting go, a grace in allowing life to move through us rather than pushing against it. When we surrender to the natural rhythm of life, we discover that change is not something to fear, but an opportunity to awaken to our own vitality.
Many of us have been taught to believe that happiness is a destination, a place we reach once we have achieved enough, earned enough, or done enough. Yet, when we look more closely, we see that true wellbeing does not come from external achievements – it comes from recognising and feeling the innate wholeness that is our birthright. This is not a lofty idea; it is a practical, living truth that transforms the way we engage with life. When we operate from this awareness, the simplest moments – a beautiful African sunset, morning light through a window, a cup of tea, looking into the eyes of my beautiful dog, Jack – become gateways to joy. Life becomes less about striving and more about flowing, less about control and more about presence.
I have witnessed this transformation countless times in the people I work with. One young woman came to me, overwhelmed by the pressures of work, social expectations and her own self-doubt. She described feeling ‘stuck’, as though life was passing her by while she remained on the sidelines. Together, we explored the nature of her thinking and the feelings that arose from it. She allowed herself to truly feel the tension and anxiety that had dominated her days. And then, in the quiet space of awareness, something shifted. A sense of ease emerged, not because the circumstances of her life changed immediately, but because she remembered that her wellbeing had never been absent – it had merely been obscured by her own thoughts.
This is the power of awakening. It is the recognition that the mind can create experiences of stress, fear, or sadness, but it can also reveal, with equal clarity, the unchanging presence of wellbeing beneath those experiences. To awaken is not to become perfect or to eliminate challenge; it is to discover the serene foundation upon which all experiences arise and to let that foundation guide us.
Spring invites us to embrace change and change is often where we feel resistance most acutely. Yet, when we bring awareness to the transient nature of our thoughts, we see that change is not an external imposition – it is the natural movement of life. Trees do not cling to last year’s leaves, rivers do not resist their course and yet we, in our thinking, often hold tightly to what was, what should be, or what we fear might be. By consciously observing this tendency and feeling the thoughts that arise, we step into a new way of being – one that is fluid, expansive and aligned with the rhythm of life itself.
I invite you to consider a simple practice this spring: Pause, breathe and notice the sensations in your body. Feel the subtle energy of life moving through you. Do not try to change anything, do not label what you feel as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, simply allow yourself to be present with it. In these moments of gentle observation, you will begin to perceive the ever-present wellbeing that lies beneath all thought. You will begin to awaken to the truth that you are not your thoughts – you are the awareness in which they arise.
And when you feel this truth, even briefly, it changes everything. Decisions become clearer, relationships become more compassionate and the challenges of life no longer carry the weight they once did. You begin to move through the world with a sense of ease and confidence, not because life has become simpler, but because you have discovered a simplicity within yourself that no external circumstance can disturb.
There is a particular kind of joy that comes with this awakening – a joy that is gentle yet steadfast, like the warm rays of the South African sun that linger even on a cool winter’s day. It is not loud or demanding; it does not shout or insist. It simply is. And it reminds us that life, in all its complexity, is ultimately a reflection of the serene presence that we carry within us.
This spring, I invite you to step into this space of serenity. Embrace change not as a threat but as an opportunity to awaken. Trust that the innate wellbeing within you is sufficient for every challenge, every transition and every moment of life. Let yourself feel it fully, let it move through you and notice how your experience of the world begins to shift. You may find that the small, everyday moments hold a richness and vitality that you had previously overlooked. You may find that your heart feels lighter, your mind clearer and your spirit more expansive.
The beauty of this awakening is that it is available to us at any moment. It does not depend on external circumstances, past achievements, or future goals. It is a birthright that we can choose to feel whenever we allow ourselves to be present. Like the earth in spring, we can shed the weight of old patterns, embrace the warmth of life and awaken to our own innate brilliance.
As you move through this season, remember that serenity is not something to be earned – it is always here, waiting for you to feel it. And when you do, you will discover that life is not a struggle to be managed, but a dance to be embraced, a mystery to be marvelled at and a journey to be enjoyed.
Spring into serenity. Embrace change. Awaken to the wellbeing that has always been your companion. And, in doing so, allow yourself to live fully, joyfully, and deeply, knowing that the essence of life is not outside you – it has always been within.
“All we are is peace, love and wisdom and the power to create the illusion that we’re not.” – Jack Pransky
