Change

How come people are so afraid of change? Is it that whole fear of the unknown that scares people or the fact that they realize that from this moment on they will never be the same that bothers em.  I don’t think I have ever been afraid of change, in fact I think I have embraced change. Because I think I understand that without change you will never have growth, they are synonymous with each other, each going hand in hand with the other.   Change is the stepping stone for a growth, and we all know that without growth you pretty much have nothing.  But I guess all change isn’t growth. So what is change exactly?

Change is something that presses us out of our comfort zone. It comes in many forms, destiny-filtered, heart grown, faith built and more.  Change is for the better or for the worst, depending on where you view it. Change has an adjustment period which varies on the individual. It is uncomfortable, because changing from one state to the next upsets our control over outcomes. Change has a ripping effect on those who won’t let go.  Change is needed when all the rules and practices of the past no longer work. Change is not comforted by the statement ‘just hang in there’ but with the statement ‘you can make it’. We don’t change in retreat, but through endurance. Change isn’t fixed by crying, worrying, or stressing. Change is won by victors not victims; and  that choice is only decided each individual.

Change is awkward -- at first. Change is vessel that develops to abundantly enjoy the dynamics of the life set before us. Change calls on strength beyond anyone of us. Change pushes you to do your personal best. Change draws out those poised for a new way. Change isn’t for chickens. Change does have casualties of those defeated. Change is so slow for the reluctant, and yet it is a whirlwind for those who embrace it. Change is more fun to do than to have be done to. Change seeks a better place at the end and is complete when you realize you are different. Change will cause us to grow and to learn.

Change is measured by its impact on all who are connected to it. Change is charged when you are dissatisfied with where you are. Change doesn’t look for a resting-place; just the next launching point. Change is only a waste to those who don’t learn from it. Change happens in the heart before it is proclaimed by our words. Change punishes those moving slower than the change itself.  If you can change before you have to change, there will be less pain. Change can flow or jerk, depending on our resistance to it. Change uses the power of the unseen to reinvent what is seen. Change is like driving in a  heavy fog – you can’t see very far, but you can make the whole trip that way.

Hmmm so what’s growth exactly and how is it different then change? Its not really, it’s basically the result of all this change.   Growth is the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing to a more complex level. Growth is the progression from simpler to more complex forms. It’s an increase: the process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important. It’s the gradual beginning or coming forth. Growing is getting stronger, developing, and becoming more mature. So basically I think growth is just one way that you can handle change.  

I have this great magnet on my fridge that sums up my post pretty awesomely.  “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” I have spent a lot of my life growing and much of it is the result of  my many life changes, both good and bad. I think why I have become successful and well adjusted in the world is simply because I embrace these changes and turn each and every one of them into a growth opportunity.  I want to constantly be challenging myself to be a better person, do better things, and keep the past as just that… The past.  So hear is my advice to anyone scared of change.  Don't wait until everything is just right. Because things will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  But so what.  you should just get started now; because with each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful. With each step you will see how un-scary  this change really is.