Change is Good
Sometimes change hits us like a bullet train, and there’s nothing we can do to avoid it. We don’t see it coming, and we can’t understand why it happened. All we can do is hold on for dear life as we plunge into a new unfamiliar world.
But not all change comes without foresight. Oftentimes, change looms like Godzilla lumbering towards Tokyo. Mothers have a 9-month leeway before having a baby, for example. High school seniors know when they graduate and afterwards the first day of college. People can predict even less obvious changes, such as knowing their company will go through a series of lay-offs months before the axe falls. Simply paying attention to the world around you gives you insight on what might happen next. And sometimes we are stuck doing the same things over and over when we know that it is not good for us but we stay the course because we are scared to take a leap of faith. We think that somehow our current stress is nothing compared to what you will have to endure if you make a change.
So, why is it that change produces so much stress and anxiety? We often prefer to stay on the current course and ignore the obvious clues that change is desperately needed to continue to grow as a person and a human being. I can speak to this because in the last 15 years I have had so much change and corresponding positive growth that I ask myself “why didn’t I do it earlier?” From going back school twice (BS and MBA), moving to Florida then California, getting married and having two beautiful kids, and starting the RAXA movement. All of these changes produced very anxious moments with many days filled with doubt and questions. It also required me to back away from negative influences in my life as well as search for positive ones.
What I have realized is that the feelings that produced the doubt and questions were merely my mind growing, learning, and withdrawing from the “crutches” I was accustomed to using. It is very similar to when you start exercising when you have been inactive for a while; those first few days are extremely uncomfortable and filled with moments of doubt and questioning why do it. Then after you fight through that and you see and feel the results of the exercise you wonder why you waited so long. Sound familiar?
Now, apply that same thought process you used to work on your physique to your personal and professional lives. The doubt and anxiety will subside and there will be feelings of personal triumph and clarity. It is nature’s way of making sure your value your new found success and do not take it for granted. Anything that is valued requires some sort of commitment and sacrifice to remind you that you need to give to receive.
It is tempting to ignore needed change. We want to savor stability in our lives. But denying needed change, however, can hurt your chances of happiness and personal growth. You can recover more quickly and thrive in new circumstances if you give yourself time implement the needed changes in your life. Do you know change is needed in your life and you are ignoring it?
Embrace it and utilize it as an opportunity to grow and reach your potential.
