A Whole New World, A Whole New Me

“You’ve changed”...

Once upon a time, I believed this phrase could only be used in a negative way. Crazy right? I once thought that in order for me to stay true to myself, I would have to stay the same ... forever. I even convinced myself that I wasn’t authentic if I changed my mind. I’m getting flashbacks of the 6th grade when we learned about static and dynamic characters. Whoever had the most drastic change in the story was always the main character… It all makes sense now.

Chapter 58 of 71 Solutions, Embrace Change, points out that “change is the only constant in life.” I don’t believe I’ve read anything more true. Reflecting on the past few years, so much is different - not just in my own life, but also in the lives of everyone around the world. The current year is 2021, it’s the second year of the pandemic and oh the change we have all witnessed. Sometimes it's hard for me to even remember what life was like before any of this started. That just shows how effective change can be.

One line from this chapter is “...yes, you do have the power to save the world” and those are my exact intentions for reading this book. This Solution is perfect for the stage of life I'm in right now. It confirmed that the changes I’ve been making are necessary to move forward. If I were set against change, I never would have made it this far on the journey. I wouldn’t be reading this book, I wouldn’t be chasing my dreams, and I definitely wouldn’t be saving the entire world. I can’t imagine being anywhere else … wow.

While reading this chapter, the question “what opportunity does this change create and what can we adjust?” appeared. I sat for a a few minutes and thought about all the changes I witnessed in life. This question shifted my perspective of each and every situation that came to mind; if I adjusted to them all, they would have been much easier to navigate through. These changes may not have been ideal or even expected but they had to be made to continue on my journey in life . Change is inevitable: accept and embrace it.

Completing the Action Ideas section of this chapter encouraged me to dig a little deeper into my life. I started to analyze my beliefs, habits, thought processes, and anything else about me that needed some reconstruction. I realized even though I am in the process of it all, I could more add to the list. Brainstorming allowed me to really look at myself from a different point of view and I now see a few things that I’ve been avoiding changing because, as Scott says, “change is often uncomfortable.”

The discomfort is the main reason why the thought of change remains just that… a thought. If I am comfortable doing what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, who I’m doing it with… why would I even consider changing? I know you’ve heard the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? It's likely that whoever created that saying was petrified of change. I’ve heard this my entire life; and that fear has made it easy for me to stay the same. It programmed me to believe that there was no such thing as better unless something stopped working. I am breaking out of that mindset today. I am embracing change from this moment forward.

What I learned about the world

The world around me has been constantly changing since … forever. Even the seasons change and what do we do? We adapt. We change what we wear, our activities, and even the things we eat. I learned when you’re looking forward to change you can embrace it and make the necessary adjustments. The world will never stop changing, so it’s best to go with the flow.

I see things a little different now. If nothing ever changed in life since the beginning of time, what would that look like? The word mundane instantly popped up in my head. I would imagine it to be boring, repetitive and kind of... grey. That does not interest me at all. I am now very thankful for change.

What I learned about myself

I, myself, am an evolution. Just like the world, I will continue to change and grow. I would not be where I am today if I never had a change in life. This chapter reassured me that I am going in the right direction to get to where I want to be. I am more open to change and I see it in a new light.

Photo by Håkon Grimstad on Unsplash

From this day forward

I will not be content with being comfortable. I will always look for new ways that I can change in my life. I am constantly improving and I know that getting uncomfortable is the best way to get there. Pushing myself forwards is sometimes necessary because change is inevitable.

I can feel the energy of all the change that is on the way and I am excited for it. I am looking forward to everything that will no longer be the same. How about you? Two solutions down, 69 to go.