AUTHOR: Emmanuel Johnson aka Prof Jay.
There’s no denying that life is
unpredictable and more often than not we’re forced to make a change we didn’t
really prepare for or expect. We lose jobs, we lose people, we move to another
country or we find ourselves in unfavorable circumstances that we weren’t
taught how to handle. These things force you to change something that you
weren’t ready to change whether in your life or in yourself.
Change is a scary concept; especially when
you’re the kind of person who thrives in their comfort zone or when things are
stable and clear.
Change
also pressures you to overcome certain fears or insecurities which is something
we all dread to do but the truth is, the only way to embrace life is to embrace
change. The only way for you to protect yourself from the twists and turns of
fate is to master the art of changing and adapting to whatever new conditions
you’re forced to live with.
Change
is not always a bad thing, sometimes change allows you to free yourself from
toxic situations or difficult circumstances. Sometimes change looks terrifying
at first but once you dive deep into it, it becomes easier to navigate, easier
to embrace and easier to accept. Sometimes change is exactly what you need to grow
and shine, sometimes it’s the gift you didn’t know you needed even if it feels
like the biggest curse.
Even
if change is scary, there’s one good thing about it, you get to erase some of
your past and start building a new future. You get a chance to change a part of
you that held you back for so many years and you get a chance to be who you
always truly wanted to be. Life brings about a lot of uncertainty and if you’re
the kind of person who can’t accept that, your struggles in life will be a lot
more than your joys. If you don’t change to adapt to certain situations or if
you don’t change so you can free yourself from a life that’s making you
unhappy, you will always be stuck and unaware of the power you have to change
your life for the better or change yourself for the better.
Change is the law of life. We are bound to
face several changes throughout the course of our existence, many at the most
unexpected times. With that said, change is never a linear process, for it can
take on many forms, which can be messy and uncomfortable, as it has the
potential to affect our lives in several ways.
CHANGE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES:
A.
ADDITION:
The addition of new things or people in your
life can sometimes be intimidating because it naturally does take time for one
to compose their feelings about new things. Often this can be a numbing
experience, as the stressful process of having to adjust to something new is
not always a quick one.
B.
LOSS
On the other hand, changes that involve a
loss are not any easier, for they can be devastating to your mental health,
especially when you lose something or someone that you were emotionally
attached to.
C.
SUDDEN
Sudden changes can often confuse us and make
us nervous. For example, getting a new job. Even if it were your dream job, you
may still experience a level of doubt where you begin to have second thoughts
on whether or not you want the job anymore as you become unsure about your
skills in accordance with what the role demands.
D.
GRADUAL
Gradual changes can sometimes be a little
easier to cope with, as we can slowly prepare ourselves mentally for the change
that is occurring.
Having
said that, there are key steps you could take when coping with any such changes;
1)
CREATE BALANCE BETWEEN CHANGE AND STRESS
Change and stress go hand in hand, for even
when the change is a positive one, it is still accompanied by a certain level
of stress, therefore you must strive to create a balance between both. In the
uncertainty of life, we are bound to face changes, many of which we do not
necessarily want. Hence, to maintain balance and reduce our stress levels, we
must weigh the pros and cons of the changes and how we can utilize them to
create an enriched version of ourselves.
2)
PERCEIVE CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY
The unpredictability of life not only brings changes
but also an uncertainty for opportunity. Everything that alters our way of life
in any way, shape, or form is always accompanied by a chance to evolve.
Remember, sometimes a change of perspective and looking at the bigger picture
is all it takes to establish a more active role in your life where you see
change as an opportunity for growth and not the ground for unwanted stress.
3)
PLAN AND BE PATIENT
Realize that not everything is in your
control, but your emotions are. You cannot always control what goes on around
you or in your life. However, you can choose what you react to and how. To
control your emotions does not mean to oppress them but rather to comprehend
that you are going through a process that has no time limit, which means you
must muster up the confidence to face the differences that change brings and
how it affects your future instead of holding back trying to desperately cling
onto your old life. With this, you must be patient, for it is in no way an easy
journey, yet it provides you with the choice to either keep moving forward or
stay where you are.
4)
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Our strength lies in our ability to be open
and knowing when to ask for help, because putting on a strong face for the
world but struggling on the inside will never be helpful to us. Instead, it
will only worsen things over time. Whether you are coping with the change or
struggling, it is always good to talk about it with someone, as they can
provide you with a whole new perspective to what you are facing, which may even
motivate you to change your entire method of handling that particular change.
5)
REST
Through times of change, no matter how big
or small, you must take care of yourself, not just physically but also mentally
and emotionally. It is okay to have bad days, but never let them carry on.
Learn to rise above them and move on, for life has a lot to offer. Only if we
approach it with positivity and determination will we be able to become a
better version of ourselves each time.
CHANGE
OPENS NEW PATHS
Life is often different after going through
the process of change, but that is good, for without it, we would become too
accustomed to our comfort zones and feel no need to expand. Change is what makes
life exciting, for it reveals that we all have a strength within us that often
gets buried under our layers of insecurities and fears about the uncertainty of
life. With change, we learn to conquer and remove these layers, which will lead
us to discover a new version of ourselves that has every ability to endure any
change regardless of the time frame.
You
need to believe in yourself and trust the process.
Because Change has always been constant.
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