Growing Through Change; A Timeless Journey
In my previous article, I discussed the importance of looking beyond our physical health to recognize and truly embrace our vulnerabilities. Today, I will continue that discussion to explore a key characteristic of our vulnerabilities; change.
As humans, our natural instinct is to always reach for what provides us with the greatest level of comfort. In fact, for the majority of us, the thought of starting over causes goosebumps to rush up over our arms and fills us with unbearable anxiety. But once that comfort is unexpectedly snatched away from us, we translate to the mindset that the entire universe is set out to get us. What’s worse and unbelievably real is that it tends to all happen at once. Jobs, money, health, and relationships. Everything begins spiraling down and we are forced to take another stab at things. Of course, change is never easy, and thus, we easily declare ourselves as the victim. Questions like “Why me?”, “What did I do to deserve this?” flood our mind instantaneously.
But let’s take a moment to rethink why change has always been assigned a negative connotation. It’s because for us as humans, even a hint of unfamiliarity brings about feelings of overwhelming fear. It’s about the uncertainty of what’s to come that initiates these negative feelings. But why do we label uncertainty as bad? Maybe starting over is just life’s way of trying to tell you something. Maybe you stumbled into what was supposed to be a temporary job that over time became permanent because it was comfortable and paid the bills but wasn’t really helping you grow. Maybe you were allowing toxic friendships to create unnecessary drama in your life. Maybe you were so caught up, that you completely neglected the most important person in your life, you!
If we look back at it, it is safe to say that uncertainty has brought about an equal share of good as it has done bad. And even if it has translated into something bad and traumatic, the journey, the courage, and the learning that we experienced through it contributed to shaping us into who we ultimately are meant to become.
It’s about time we stop declaring ourselves the victim. Believe in yourself and the timing of your life. Do what truly brings your heart joy and take risks. I’ve learned to step back, look at my situation and ask “Okay, what is this situation trying to tell me?” Try it. Ask yourself and you’ll always get an answer. Agreed that this has happened post countless mini breakdowns. Agreed that the answer may not always be clear. But it’ll be just enough to steer you into the right direction.
We need to accept that the beauty of the future is that no human has complete control over it. No one is capable of telling you what it will look like, or more importantly WHO you’ll become. If you decide to turn the page and pursue something unanticipated, staggering, or fill-in-the-blank, maybe you’ll completely fail at it, maybe it won’t last very long, but maybe, just maybe, you’ll be better for it.
By: Fariha Farooq