If I Am Being Honest

I’m just going to be blunt. I don’t like change. In fact, I really don’t like it. Change is hard and it often feels uneasy and uncomfortable.

Why is this?

I think it’s because change means facing whatever lies ahead of us. Change means starting over, starting something new and something unknown. Looking into the future and the unknown can be quite scary.

When we face change we go through a transition period. I really don’t like transition periods. I honestly feel like I’m losing a piece of myself. I don’t feel like myself during transition. I feel like I am wandering around and a little lost. I think this is also because I am trying to resist the change that is occurring in my life. And whether I like it or not, or whether I try to fight this change or not, it is still happening because change is inevitable.

Experiencing the process of coming home from college and having a weird transition time, from being at school with all of my friends to starting my new summer internship and job, I have gone stir crazy. But through this time I have been able to reflect on why I was so unhappy coming home and why it was difficult to embrace the change of pace and scenery in my life.

Welcoming Change

I’ve come to the realization that instead of resisting the change around me, which is my natural reaction,  I should lean into it, and even dare I say embrace it. It was at first hard for me to swallow, but I’ve not so easily learned that we need change in our lives to move forward and to keep going. We need change and awkward transitions that follow because we weren’t meant to stay in the same place all of our lives. Just like the Earth keeps spinning and the seasons change continuously, we keep changing too. It’s the way of life.

So, here are some conclusions I have come to on embracing change, whatever it may look like in your life right now.

1. It’s okay to be scared and it’s okay to feel uncertain. Embrace that. I think when we come to a place of admitting we aren’t sure of something it can be a pivotal moment in our lives and allow us to learn more about who we are and what we believe.
2. Instead of grieving for what is gone, laugh and smile because it happened and you got to experience it.
3. Stop looking back on the past, or what once was. Be present in the here and now, it is the best way to prepare for what is ahead.4.
4. Reset your mind and look at the big picture. Too often we get stuck on the little details. You have a bright and uncharted future ahead of you friend. And it is all yours. Be thankful for that. In a way this change is like a clean slate and you get to write your story in a new and refreshing way.

It’s Up To You

Ultimately, it is your decision, to go into the change with the attitude of bitter or blessed. You could be bitter, struggling to let go of the past or you could know how blessed you are to get new opportunities and experiences in your life. It’s your future and you get to decide how you enter into it.

I once was bitter and unwilling to accept the change that disrupted the easy and comfortable rhythm of my life I was so accustomed to. But, through a tough and eye-opening transition period in my life, I came to the conclusion that in order to move forward and in order to be present in every moment and to live the one life I have fully, I must welcome change, even when it’s uncomfortable. But that is where we are challenged and grow the most, when we are uncomfortable.

It’s in the challenging times in our lives that we learn a lot about who we are and what we desire most. For me, I desire an attitude that is hopeful toward the future, thankful for the lessons I’ve learned in the past, with a heart and passion to keep moving forward, to continue learning about myself, making mistakes, meeting new people, and experiencing all that life has to offer me.

I also desire to realize things in our life change all of the time. Often, our dreams change too.  Maybe you are a post-college grad or someone who recently moved to a new city or town and you are not where you thought you would end up. If we are being honest, do our lives ever really go as we planned? Probably not, but that is okay! When life throws you a curveball like this what a time to allow yourself to grow and what a time to gain something new. It could be a newfound confidence or a new perspective. Either way instead of looking at it as losing something you wanted, think of it as gaining something you never expected.

It is really scary to take that first step forward into the unknown. Sometimes what it really takes is a step of courage, a moment of bravery or even a leap of faith. But once you take that step know it’s not the end; it is just the beginning of a beautiful and unexpected life.

It can be quite a wonderful thing the moment we learn to embrace change. I had to learn to stop fighting for what once was and instead welcome something new with open arms, but it was the best decision I ever made.

Will you open up to the endless and ample possibilities your future holds?