Change is a constant in our lives. We grow older; we change our jobs, our place of residence, what we like to eat, the technology we use and how we use it…the list goes on. Change is sexy, bewildering, scary, exciting, costly and invigorating, all at the same time–and it’s often the most difficult aspect of our lives to deal with, putting us through some of the worst angst-ridden moments we’ve ever experienced.
Right now, my life is all about change. Some changes are ones I decided to make. Some changes were thrust upon me, whether I wanted them or not. Then there are the changes to the world I live in…the ones close at hand as well as the bigger, global picture.
There are things I’m learning (or re-learning) through this time of change. I’ll be the first to admit that not all of them are positive. That’s not to say that all of them are negative, either, although it often feels that way. For instance, I’m constantly being reminded that the mirror of self-reflection is usually much harsher than the lenses through which your friends and family view you. I’m also being reminded that there are plenty of bright spots in life, and I need to seize and enjoy them to their fullest.
The biggest, scariest and at the same time most liberating thing I’ve re-learned from these experiences is that change itself is a catalyst. I can take it as a challenge to make improvements, or see it as an obstacle. I can choose to do nothing at all and get swept away by the actions and opinions of others. I can use it to reinvent myself, or at least my perceptions and behaviors. What I make of it, the lessons I choose to learn from it, are entirely up to me.
So bring it on, change. You may scare the crap out of me…and I may have to lie doggo long enough to catch my breath after some of the body blows you’re dealing out…but I refuse to back down from you.
