Phases of Evolution: Creation, Maintenance, & Destruction
A fundamental law of Nature is evolution is all that’s ever happening. Every event in our life, including those that don’t feel so great, moves us in the direction of greater clarity and purpose. We are always evolving towards more expansive states of awareness and higher states of consciousness.
NATURE AND HER PATTERNS
The best way to familiarize ourselves with the mechanics of evolution is to look to Nature and notice her patterns. Consider the winter season. In many parts of the world, experiencing winter is to live with high winds, biting cold, and seeming stillness of life. Creatures take this time to rest and hibernate, and the snow-frosted tree branches are missing their vibrant green leaves. Experienced as a single phase with little context, toughing it out in winter conditions seems like a bleak way to live life.
SEASONS OF EVOLUTION
However, when viewed from a broader perspective, winter is only one of four seasons that Nature experiences. We begin to feel at ease that winter’s tendency towards inwardness and desolation is an expected and temporary phenomenon. Moreover, despite how trying its conditions may be, we feel secure in our understanding that winter is a necessary phenomenon for the rebirth of Nature. Without receiving rest and restoration on all levels, the return of wildlife and vegetation wouldn’t be possible; winter’s full expression is necessary for abundance in Nature to occur.
Narrow perspective tells us that winter is a terrible condition and that all hope and joy is lost. Broadened perspective shows us that spring is around the corner, with creation, bliss, and abundance waiting for us on the other side. See how knowledge (experiencing the four seasons) and perspective (looking past the one season and expanding into all four) can completely change our entire outlook?
Like the seasons, we want to begin to understand events in our life as phases of the evolutionary process. At any given time, we are experiencing a creation phase, a maintaining phase, or a destructive phase.
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We can usually quickly identify this theme, as it’s a welcome addition to our life. Something new is blossoming, and we begin the building process of an idea or an alliance.
Matching Season: Spring
Examples: New relationship, transitioning to a new career, jamming on a new or rediscovered hobby, relocating to a new city or home.
MAINTENANCE
In this phase, we are enjoying the status quo. The “newness” has largely worn away, and we are enjoying the fruits of our labor or investment. Creativity takes a back seat to preserve and maintain the status quo (which feels pretty good).
Matching Season: Summer
Examples: Stable job, long-term relationship, predictable schedule
DESTRUCTION
The destruction operator begins to highlight to us things that are no longer irrelevant in our lives. We notice some behavior patterns or ways of relating that don’t seem to fit anymore. We feel the itch to start cleaning up the room. If we don’t act on it, the destruction usually happens anyways.
Matching Season: Fall/Winter
Examples: A breakup (expected or unexpected), getting laid off, feeling like we’re outgrowing a relationship, COVID-19
“OUR WAY” VS. “THAT WAY”
It’s important to remember that all three phases are legitimate and necessary parts of our life and evolution. Just like spring is a rebirth after Nature’s winter, our next “creation” step in the evolutionary process cannot begin until some “destruction,” or removal of irrelevancies happens. By widening our perspective and acknowledging these forces of Nature at play, we can start to soften around the edges when life events seem not to go “our” way. We realize that even if it doesn’t feel like it, everything is going “our” way.
When you begin to view your life as events of evolutionary cycles, our self-talk transforms. We begin to get curious about what the stagnation in life is signaling to us instead of resisting uneasy feelings. We let our discomforts guide us to our next creative phase. We begin to see what’s coming and adapt quickly.
In short, we stop resisting and begin to live in the flow of our evolutionary path.
CONCLUSION
Here are some prompts for you to think about:
- What are some areas where you’re enjoying the creation phase?
- Are there any parts in life where you’re in maintenance mode?
- Lastly, is there anything happening in your life right now that you wish weren’t so, but perhaps it indicates some necessary destruction for a rebirth to happen?
- Can you find ways to celebrate all these phases of your own evolution?
Love and Jai Guru Deva,
Susan
