"Can you please just send me home?!" No, not yet, you still haven't got to the best part
Change.
Change is a topic that everyone has some experience in and can relate to in one way or another. Sometimes change is voluntarily, taking on a new job, moving house, having a child etc. And sometimes change is not voluntary, the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the sudden invasion of fairytale characters in your swamp, the list goes on.
But both voluntary and involuntary change can have good and bad consequences, it depends on the situation and context. It has become a cliche to say that change is ultimately inevitable and part of life, it has become a cliche for good reason, it's true.
It can be very difficult to let go of the past. To let go of who we once were and what are life used to be like. A quote from one of my other blog posts 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened' is pretty pertinent to this concept. Even though things have changed it doesn't take away from what the past once was.
We have the ability to change who we are everyday, either in a small way or a large way. Our brain will want us to fall back into our old patterns the day after because it craves familiarity, but we can overcome this with awareness and consistency. What a gift; most people remain oblivious to the sheer capacity of the human mind their entire lives. Simply following the same patterns, avoiding and fearing change and growth.
A significant amount of change occurs in the first part of our life, obviously we grow so much during childhood, change friendships, partners, jobs and so on. This is one reason it can be difficult, not only are we changing drastically but so is our environment and how we interact with it. You could argue that all this change prepares you for life in a hidden manner, I like that idea, but it doesn't make it any easier to navigate.
So how can we learn to appreciate and handle the stress that change can sometimes cause? Well the title of this blog addresses that to some degree. As previously mentioned, voluntary change is often better than involuntary change; pursuing something new that can move you a step closer to where you would like to be is an example of worthwhile change. Therefore, to some extent we can use that schema to accept change along the journey towards our destiny.
But what to do when change is involuntary and maybe even painful? Time. Time can heal many wounds, our psyches are excellent at readjusting to most things with time. Another way is to change your outlook on things that you hold dearly. Attempt to implement the advice in this quote 'Some things in life should be firmly believed, but loosely held" Let go of things when you need to, but don't sacrifice the joy to the fear.
Embrace the future and be thankful for the past, they both only exist in the intangible realm of our minds. Yet can still be nearly as powerful as the present.Even if the past has been good, the best is yet to come.
Sigue nadando (just keep swimming).
Gracias,
For you.