The Sunday News
Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts —Arnold Bennett
It took a lot of time, for some of us, a lifetime to learn and adapt to the life that we are living now.
As we all know, humans learn by repetition and as those actions and habits are recorded in the subconscious, life becomes easy as we do not have to put much thought into everything that we do. We simply rely on our memory to take us through, that is when we would have reached what many call the comfort zone.
This is what makes it difficult for us to adapt to new things and embrace change. However, life is dynamic so we cannot avoid change, no matter how we feel about it. All changes, big or small are naturally viewed with dislike, because well, it is change and humans would rather keep the status quo.
Change is inevitable
As we grow older each year we also change, think of the things you enjoyed doing back then, the friends you used to have, the dreams and what you wanted then. Are they still the same? It is for that reason that life changes because we are changing too.
Think about it this way, we looked at change in a positive light when we were younger, we wished we were older, we looked forward to new, exciting things to experience and all that involves change. We knew that growing up meant that things would change but when we got older we suddenly decided that change was bad, scary and we dreaded it. We simply stopped being excited about life, because change is all part of life.
Changing ideas, trends, responsibilities and expectations are all responsible for changes that occur in the world that affect our lives.
Big changes
Getting married, having kids, starting your own business, changing your lifestyle, ending a relationship, exploring new talents, moving to a new place, starting college or losing a loved one are all big changes. While changes we would have decided on tend to be easier because we would be somewhat prepared for them, the ones that nature springs on us become hard to embrace and some of us try to resist or live in denial while still holding on to the past.
While this may keep one steady for a while, there is no denying that this will not last long.
Be teachable
The good thing about any new path you want to chart is that you won’t be the first at it, unless of course you are inventing something new. There are likely to be references where you can ask questions or advice on how to go about it. You can research and also find out how your predecessors handled such situations, learn from their wisdom and their mistakes.
When it comes to technology there is no way one can cling to the past while living in this century. One just has to adapt and take time to learn the new technology if they are to keep up. Smartphones, computers, DIY gadgets all change to match the latest technology and we have to know all that to enjoy it’s advantages. Think back to how life has changed for the better from writing letters, traveling to pass messages to communicating with someone across the globe with one click of a button.
Give up the old you
While everything in us may be screaming against change, if we are to progress we need to give up our old self and tune in with the new. When getting married the single life is left behind as one takes on new responsibilities as a partner. The same goes for parenthood where the shift demands that one be exemplary as they are now responsible for another human being.
You can find that with couples sometimes one refuses to change when the other changes. This is what causes the rift as the two fail to grow together and one is left behind. This often leads to misunderstandings and the beginning of the end for them.
Be open minded, try something new
It would be good to position oneself in a way that they are open minded and not rigid. Yes, we all would like to stay in our comfort zone but what if that change we’re so afraid to confront is what will bring us the new breakthrough or growth that we have been yearning for?
Our reaction to change
Let’s check our reaction to those changes that we are thrown into and make sure that we try to live with them through your responses. See change as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat to your life.
We should also strive to believe it’s possible to create positive outcomes to whatever changes take place in our lives.
Let’s choose courage in the place of fear and walk out of our comfort zone, embrace change and live. After all, life is for the living!
