Wouldn’t it be great if we never had to change? We could stay the same and live in our comfortable little cocoon forever. We’d never have to experience tough emotions like fear, disappointment, stress, frustration, overwhelm, anger, and shame.
But be honest. Would you really enjoy a life that literally never changed? A life that didn’t force you to evolve and transform into your highest self?
Good! Because life wouldn’t allow you to. Change is a constant, and in this blog, we’ll discuss how natural cycles and rhythms of life are actually beneficial to our personal growth and psychological evolution.
Why Adapting To Change Is Crucial
Can I be totally honest with you?
I live in the same house I grew up in. I order the same sandwich every time I go out to lunch. I’m the kind of person who knew what she wanted to be when she was in second grade. To me, routine is everything. It was upon this sense of predictability that I built a business and worked as hard as I possibly could to make it successful.
And then, guess what happened?
Change turned my life upside down. It’s a familiar story. And we’ve all been there, or lived a version of the story.
When I got the news that the business I worked SO hard to create was going bankrupt, I was absolutely crushed. But that was just the beginning of what would become my life’s journey in discovering what I truly wanted. Adapting to change taught me resilience. I realized that I could fight all I wanted against the outcome of events, but in the end, change was definitely happening. And, to my surprise, what I thought was my biggest failure yet, was actually a window into a new life.
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Change Isn’t Always As Scary As You Think
By and large, if given the choice to stay in a comfortable but toxic environment, versus make a change that is healthy and good, most people will stick with the toxic option. That’s right. Most people are terrified to take steps towards change. Why do I say this? Because if you’re carrying on with a job you hate, staying in an unhealthy relationship, or keeping up a harmful addiction that you know deep down is destroying your life, you may have found a familiar comfort in your discomfort. The simple truth is that overcoming challenges and adapting to change is not easy work, but it is necessary to live the life you want.
And here’s the interesting thing, I have friends who’ve gone through massive changes in their life. They’ve lost children, partners, parents, siblings, pets, and jobs. When all of the change was going on around them, they were devastated. At that time in their life, it was the hardest thing that ever happened to them, but looking back it was a huge turning point. Change allowed them to discover their true life purpose, connect with spirituality, find more freedom in their life, and grow in more ways than they would if the devastating event had never happened.
My point is this: Change is inevitable. And, when you encounter change you always have two choices: Fight and resist change or choose to work with it, embrace it, and view it as a chance to grow and expand.
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
– Alan Watts
3 Simple Ways You Can Embrace Change & Feel Amazing!
If you’ve been lulled into a place of complacency, remember that you are important enough to make the changes you need. To help you start living a life that feels more authentic and fearless, here are 3 simple ways to get started.
1. Set an intention
When change hits, it’s easy to feel out of sorts. Use this as a time to think about what kind of life you truly want to live. This intention will become your mantra during the fall season. When you wake up, verbally repeat it out loud to yourself, think about it, and talk about your intentions with your friends and family.
Here are some example intentions to help get you started in creating your very own:
- I am going to do things that will make me happier and healthier.
- I am going to lose 10 pounds.
- I will exercise 3 days a week.
- I will get enough sleep.
- I will wake up early every morning to meditate.
- I am content with what I have.
- I am grateful for…
- I love myself fully.
- I will budget and save enough money for holiday gifts this year.
2. Embrace uncertainty
The secret to embracing change is to fully surrender to uncertainty. I know this sounds counterintuitive when you’re wondering what to “do” when life throws a curveball. But the cool thing about life is that it’s trying to teach you something. If the idea of uncertainty is terribly upsetting for you, chances are that you have a voice inside your head that loves to know every detail of the next step. When that voice doesn’t have a blueprint of what’s coming next, it can become irritated and anxious.
As Gabrielle Bernstein says, you have to remember that the universe has your back. Use a practice like meditation, yoga, or journaling to settle into the uncertainty of your current situation and try to let go of the way things should go. When you understand that the present moment is the only thing you truly have, you’ll find peace in the changing tides.
3. Set clear, actionable goals
Let’s rewind to the moment when my business crumbled. I thought that a successful business was what I always wanted. Losing the business gave me the clarity to reflect on how running the business was destroying my health and relationships. Not only that, it was no longer bringing me joy. As I learned how to embrace change, I got real with myself. What did I really want to do with my life? One day, it hit me like a pile of bricks: I wanted to volunteer in my community. But how was I going to do that without a steady income? I knew I had to make a plan. I got to work as a business consultant for an old client during the week and set a goal to volunteer for at least 2 hours every weekend.
My commitment to volunteering was a small, actionable goal that opened incredible doors. This made me realize EXACTLY what I wanted to do with my life. I started volunteering for a cause that was always on my bucket list, but I never actually carved out time for. And you know what? My commitment to setting clear, actionable goals eventually led to a full-time role at the organization. I couldn’t believe it. Embracing change actually led me on a path to discover a career I truly loved: Helping others through running an environmental organization.
Let’s look at another example: If you’re trying to look younger or smooth out wrinkles, taking a premium daily collagen like Super Youth is a simple but mighty step toward reaching that goal.
Bottom line: Use this time of the year to set goals that are actionable. Whether your goal is to lose 5 pounds, feel your best, exercise more, sleep better, or finish that half-marathon, make sure to write down what it would feel like to reach these milestones. No matter what your goals are for embracing change, it’s the perfect time of year to shift your attention towards goal-setting that will help you evolve into the person you want to become this season.
Embrace Change Quotes
“Change is inevitable in life. You can either resist it and potentially get run over by it, or you can choose to cooperate with it, adapt to it, and learn how to benefit from it. When you embrace change you will begin to see it as an opportunity for growth.”
– Jack Kanfield
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
– Charles Darwin
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”
– Steve Maraboli
“Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later.”
– Bob Goff
“People who appear to be resisting change may simply be the victim of bad habits. Habit, like gravity, never takes a day off.”
– Paul Gibbons
The Bottom Line
Learning how to adapt and embrace change helped me grow in ways I never would if I stayed in the same spot, living the same way, doing the same work day in and day out. Overcoming challenges and going outside my comfort zone taught me that a happy life is one where you continuously evolve and grow. Losing my business was just the tip of the iceberg. It taught me how to surrender so that I could discover how truly strong and powerful I am.
Use this fall season to set new personal goals, align with the type of life you truly want to live, and trust that everything will fall into place. What are you waiting for? Bust out that journal, light a candle, and remember that you can embrace and celebrate change at any time. Once you do, you’ll start experiencing growth you never imagined possible.
