And ten reasons why we should always embrace it
This article is perhaps more personal to me than any of the other one’s I’ve written to date. I recently embraced a huge change and relocated my life from Southern California to Arizona. It’s this action that inspired this article and my reflections on the power of change.
I had lived in sunny San Diego, California for over 21 years. Yes, I loved my time there and enjoyed all that the city has to offer. However, over the past few years I found myself thinking about moving and exploring and expanding my horizons. It was kind of a “been there done that” feeling that I was having. So, this past fall I put in motion a plan to move to the desert. The move happened rather quickly, and it was filled with excitement, anxiety, and more than a few bumps. In short, it wasn’t the smooth transition that I had imagined or hoped for. Therefore, I did a little research into the power (positive aspects) of change. Initially, this was more of a coping mechanism to keep my spirits high and to keep me moving forward as I dealt with some negative emotions and second guessing my decision. So, with that said, here is what I found in my research and the lessons and insights l have learned to date:
1. Knowledge
Learning is and should be a lifelong process. I believe someone once said, ‘if you aren’t
learning, you are dying’. The more we seek out change and new experiences, the more learning opportunities are presented to us. Change forces us to look at things in a new light and challenge our current beliefs, values, and knowledge base. It allows us to learn new ideas, skills, viewpoints, and information. You also learn and discover new things about yourself. As humans we need to be constantly learning and challenging ourselves...its how we grow and get better and stay vital.
2. Adaptability
Accepting and embracing change allows you to adapt better to change and become more
flexible. Change can be a lot harder on someone when they resist and reject it. Accepting change makes dealing with it easier. The more we deal with change, the more used to it we become, and the easier it becomes to deal with. Rigidity and resistance can cause unnecessary stress and blind us from the good that new situations, environments, and people can bring. As I mentioned above, I resisted moving for a few years. Yes, I moved living spaces within San Diego in that time frame, but it didn’t give me the change I was seeking. I was being rigid and resistant, and ultimately denying what my heart, mind, and
soul was craving. I kept trying to answer the calling by making small, insignificant changes. Once I stopped resisting, I felt a calm, relief come over me and excitement started to brew within.
3. Opportunities and Possibilities
Change can open many doors and opportunities that normally wouldn't have been there without it. Change makes many things possible. It can allow you to meet new people,
enjoy new experiences, develop new skills and ideas, learn new knowledge and information, and achieve great feats. Change can help you transform and have breakthroughs. The possibilities with change become endless. What I haven’t mentioned yet, is that one of the reasons I did move is for an opportunity to be part of something new. The opportunity to be part of a new gym and be an inaugural trainer in that facility. I knew this would test me and my resolve. Questions flooded me...what if I am the least qualified trainer, what if this different population of clients doesn’t like me, and the list of “what ifs” went on and on. Oddly, what worried me was actually what I was searching for. I wanted to meet new people, I wanted a fresh start, I wanted to learn from new people. I realized I was afraid of the very thing that I wanted and needed most. So, I stepped into my fear and gave it a big bear hug.
4. Greatness
Greatness happens when you embrace change. It's easy to remain stagnant, complacent, content, and comfortable when you are “good,” but you miss out on the potential and opportunity of becoming great. Whether that be with your job, your relationships, or any skill or hobby you pursue. Many people reject change because they claim to be happy already, but with change, they have the potential to be happier. Many of us don't know what we're missing because we are content with where we are in our lives. Lack of change and resistance to change makes it a lot easier to settle. I believe that
sometimes change is thrust upon us because the Universe knows we are not pursuing our greatness. For example, I was very content and complacent in my corporate job. I had been thinking about changing jobs because I loathed what I was doing. I simply dragged myself to work every day because the pay and benefits were good. Honestly, it was one of the most unhappy times of my life. The day I got laid off from this job was probably one of the best. It was scary, but deep down I knew it was what was best for my emotional and mental health. It was a struggle, but it gave me the push I needed to really pursue my greatness and do something that lights me up.
5. Courage
When you openly embrace change, it reduces and eliminates the fears that can come with
change. When change pushes us out of our comfort zone, courage grows. We can slowly, but surely overcome our fears by embracing the change that comes from facing our fears. And yes, often that fear is the fear of change itself. Fear is an illusion in our minds that only stops us from seeking and achieving greater things in life. Change your mindset around fear. Label that feeling of fear as excitement and see how your life transforms.
6. Resilience and Grit
Acceptance of change makes us more resilient. Resilience makes us stronger and more capable of dealing with life's difficulties. You learn that when there's a change in your life however big it may be, that it's not the end of the world and you'll get through it, probably even better than before. We're better equipped for what life throws at us because of the changes we've dealt with prior. Without change, you can never know what your strengths are and what you are truly capable of. What we learn about ourselves can be surprising to many of us. I learned this lesson when I was laid off from my corporate job (mentioned above). I learned that I am a resilient human being, and I have the skills and drive to survive. So, when I was laid off the second time, I was better equipped, and the fear wasn’t there. It was more excitement and gratitude. I saw this as a new opportunity to grow and get better.
7. Allows you to be proactive
When you accept, embrace, and seek change, it puts the ball in your court and puts the direction of your life in your own hands. It allows you to be proactive and not reactive. You are no longer a victim controlled by outside forces. You make the choices when you embrace change. Implementing change helps develop your character and allows you to live the life you want to live. When you accept change, you stop wasting energy complaining about changes happening around you. You realize these things are happening for you not to you. You take initiative to make your own changes and start making things happen. You, and only you, are responsible for yourself and your life.
8. Life becomes more interesting
The more experiences we have, the more things we learn, and the more things we go through the richer our lives and more interesting we become. Change makes life exciting, even if it comes as a negative change in our life. Whenever I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I think to myself that the greatest failures make the best success stories. One day you will share these stories of challenging times with a friend, relative, or stranger and these stories will become their survival guide. Get out there and live a great story.
9. More likely to follow through with your goals
Even if we have goals and want to reach them, we may still be resistant to change. When we embrace change, we're more likely to value our ideas and potential possibilities, and then follow through with them. We're more likely to believe in ourselves and our abilities. It’s remarkable how this is currently playing out in my own life. My goals and desires for
my future are the same as they were before I moved. However, my actions in my new environment are substantially different. I am more driven and see more possibility in my new space. This is true on the professional front as well as the personal. Professionally, I am reaching out and networking and connecting with others I wish to collaborate with. Personally, I am starting to date again. Both endeavors were available to me in my former location, but I felt stagnant there. My new surroundings have energized me and made me feel new again.
10. Conclusion
Change breaks up our routines. Routines can leave us in a rut—and possibly even contribute to depression and stress. Change keeps your mind active, refocusing your thoughts so your mind stays active and doesn’t become fixated on negative thought patterns. By altering the way you live your life, even in a small way, change can present opportunities that can have a domino effect, providing you with more choices than you ever dreamed possible—so you can create a more fulfilling and authentic life.
So, start enjoying life's natural process. There are so many opportunities waiting for you to discover. You can't alter the fact that change exists, but you can adjust your view, change your mindset, and choose an approach that allows you to live a happier and more fulfilled life. Stagnancy is death. Change is what makes you alive. By accepting, embracing, and seeking change, we make the conscious choice to keep moving forward and continue growing and exploring.
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