It’s Time to Accept Change

As I scrolled down my Twitter timeline, I came across a video of a toddler crying over her favorite restaurant, McDonald’s, being closed for dining due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The heartbreaking video garnered millions of views and I began to ponder how someone so young, with such little life experience could feel these deep emotions, even if it was just over a Happy Meal. It dawned on me that we humans, no matter how old, do not like unanticipated change.

The year 2020 certainly brought changes that none of us were prepared for. The premise of a deadly virus spreading across the globe, people wearing masks, and chaos in the streets sounds like a pitch for a sci-fi movie. However, this is our reality and it is here to stay for some time.

Change is a part of life, and like it or not we will all experience it. The more I age, the more change continues to become a common theme in my life, and that is something I am learning to be more comfortable with.

There are two kinds of change in life; the ones we voluntarily make and the ones we do not anticipate. Both are essential to living a fulfilled life. For example, you may have chosen to move cities, change jobs, or cut your hair. Any of these small changes are perceived as positive, as you were behind the wheel. But not all change comes with a warning. Sometimes, change is forced upon us and can alter our lives in ways we weren’t expecting. These big changes are scary and often unwelcome but make us stronger and more resilient in the long run. A major step one must take in recovering from the fear of change is acknowledging that it is inevitable. Whether or not we plan for it, change continues to show up.

It is important we look at change through a rational lens. When we resist change, we cling to status-quo behaviors- no matter how bad they are for us. If you can examine the consequences of this though process, you can see what is truly going on is just apprehension. If you compare all possible consequences of both your status quo and desired behaviors, you can get a more realistic view of the situation at hand. If there are more positive results associated with the new behavior, your fears of the unknown are unwarranted. Being able to identify when your mind is reverting to fear tactics will allow you to see when rejecting change is harmful.

If you’ve ever heard the saying there are only two things in life that are guaranteed: death and taxes, I would argue that there are three. Change is guaranteed to happen as well. It defines the world around us, and shapes us into more experienced, resilient people.

If there is one thing we should take away from 2020, it is that change cannot be feared. The negative connotations associated with change only harm us and leave us in a stagnant, mundane pattern of life. In the new year, challenge yourself to not only

embrace change, but to enjoy it. It’s bound to happen anyways, so we might as well get used to it.