Let’s Talk About What Change Is

Change [chāynj]: verb; to make different in some particular way, to make radically different, to give a different position, course, or direction to (Merriam-Webster, 2023)

What is the purpose of making alterations in our lives? Why change what we know, what we do, or how we act when that has been the norm for as long as we can remember? Maybe it was modeled for us. Maybe it has kept us safe.

It is possible we may feel stuck in our ways of living and acting and have aspects of life that can feel or look predictable. Whether we recognize these patterns as healthy or unhealthy, predictability can feel comfortable. When necessary change is recognized within us, it is common that the homeostasis we typically feel is unbalanced or something that we are doing is no longer working well for us. Although change is inevitable, it can feel scary and be uncomfortable for those that have gotten so used to their sense of normalcy.

What most don’t often recognize is that we can learn SO MUCH during periods of change— if we allow ourselves to. Growth is all about leaning into those areas of discomfort and truly being curious about ourselves and our experiences.

As Sigmund Freud once said: “Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.” This couldn’t be truer—allowing our vulnerabilities to present the strengths that we have within us and have not yet recognized in ourselves. Seeing our strengths in a new form.

Whether we want to or not, we are always growing and changing. Hopefully we can lean into what that looks like for each of us to be able to begin or continue that personal growth journey we are on.