Turning a corner: embracing change with kindness and hope

For as long as I can remember, I have been bothered by change. I always found comfort in the familiar, the known, the predictable. Some might think that is boring, but for me, boring was always peaceful.

If you're anything like me, you'd know all too well the kind of anxiety major life events bring with them. When you've gotten too comfortable in your way of life and something changes, something beyond your control now, you're left with broadly 2 choices: 

Resist the change

Embrace the change

Each one of those choices presents you with challenges. When you resist the change that you have no control over, you are fighting a battle that you cannot win. You're only delaying your acceptance of the change by fighting it. 

Luckily, by embracing the change, you're going in with acceptance. Acceptance, then, is now a tool you're using right from the get go to deal with this change, rather than being the end result of the uphill battle in the first choice.

I am not the first person to say this and I won't be the last: what you resist, persists. Learning to lean into it, to swim with the tide & not against it, will be a positively transformative experience when dealing with change. Change brings with it opportunity; think of it as life's way of nudging you in another unexplored, uncharted dimension full of exciting potential. At times like this, uncertainty weights heavy on your mind, but with the right tools to support you through this change, navigating it becomes that much more easier. Talking to a friend, consulting a therapist, leaning on family, journaling - these are all helpful tools that you can bank on. 

During the change itself, as a broad, general rule, try to be kind to yourself. The whirlwind of emotions you experience will give rise to uncomfortable thoughts, emotions and may even prompt behavior you would deem undesirable, but be kind to the person you are in the moment. If you wouldn't judge a friend for thinking, feeling or doing the things you are in the moment, there is no reason to be hard on your own self. 

Hang in there. You may not be seeing it right now, but with this change, you are turning a corner. Sit tight, and let the stunning views make the bumpy road a bit more bearable (maybe even worth it!)!

Thanks for reading!

Love and light,
Abhishek G

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