Change is the unyielding force that propels us forward on the path of growth, adaptation, and evolution. In a world marked by constant flux and unpredictability, our ability to embrace change is not only a valuable asset but a key determinant of personal and professional success. Yet, the resistance to change is a common and deeply ingrained instinct, often stemming from fear of the unknown or a desire for stability and familiarity.
Today, we discuss the importance of being open to change, unveiling the inherent opportunities, wisdom, and resilience that arise from embracing new possibilities.
It’s Common to Fear Change
Many of us fear change and try to avoid it at all costs. New ideas make us nervous. We push back on suggestions to do things differently. Shifts to our routine make us uncomfortable. But it’s constant, there’s no getting away from it. It makes sense to try to make the best of it. To not be afraid. But it’s not that easy.
Change: Learn to Love It!
Anticipating it can be awful. We fear all the potential challenges in our path. Unintended consequences. Land mines we don’t know exist. On occasion, some of what we worry about comes to pass. But most of the time, change comes and goes with less chaos than we feared.
I enjoy change. In fact, if things don’t vary often enough, I get cranky. I sometimes initiate unnecessary projects that give me the novelty I crave. Because I believe in why change is good. This doesn’t always make other people happy, so I try to limit the disruption to my own space.
I’m not sure if there’s a biological explanation for this urge. But if I’m irritable, doing something new, like rearranging furniture, or revising something in my daily routine almost always calms me, and makes me feel better.
Benefits of Doing Something Different
I’ve read that each time you venture out of your comfort zone, it actually “stretches” your brain. In other words, it kind of makes you smarter. Amazing, right? And the more we need to cope with change, the more flexible we become.
We see more possibilities if we are less attached to standard procedure. And we also become more tolerant of others and their ideas, because we’re not too stuck with our own. One more reason to count when we think about why change is good.
Disruption Can Cause Stress
Disruptions in relationships, jobs, marital status, etc. all present potential stress for us. But they are also great opportunities. Think of the 5 happiest moments in your life. Did a major shift precede them?
- The birth of a child?
- Getting married?
- Going on a trip to a place you’d never seen before?
The point is, without change we would probably miss out on much of the happiness in our lives. Another reason why it’s good for us.
Change Is an Essential Part of Life
It’s an essential part of life for people and nature. It’s why we have different kinds of weather, and the seasons. Think about crop rotation: we must rotate what is planted and where we plant it, otherwise we deplete nutrients in the soil.
I like to think of us the same way – that we can’t keep breathing in one spot for too long – we have to move on to fresh air and fresh ideas to be at our best. When something new happens, you often hear people say: “Well this is a game changer”. How cool is that?
That one shift can happen in the universe, and our whole collection of thinking on a subject can be altered. It can open up a whole new future.
Why Change is Good
I guess the bottom line is this: Change can have positive outcomes, or it may create challenges or even hardship. But who knows what impact we may have by the way we think about that challenge headed our way? It is possible that having a positive outlook, anticipating benefits from a new practice, can increase the likelihood that they will come to pass.
So next time we hear about a major disruption on the horizon let’s think: Bring it on! Because change is often the prelude to something wonderful.
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Thank you as always for reading.
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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Joan’s career includes clinical healthcare plus 20+ years as an executive in a nationwide health care system and 15 years as a consultant. The common threads throughout Joan’s personal and professional life are a commitment to non-profit organizations, mental health, compassionate coaching, professional development and servant leadership. Joan has had the privilege of mentoring early and mid-career professionals as well as current and future executives and leaders. She is a member of the International Organization of Life Coaches, serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is also a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me. You can read more about Joan here: Joan Senio.
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