Not again! Are you nuts woman?
These are the words said by so many of my friends, family members and colleagues during my career as a frequent mover. I have owned 6 homes in the last 23 years! This nomadic way of life has just been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. When I was young, we switched towns faster than you could say BOO! and as renters, we just made our new house feel like home the best we could with our limited financial means. But why, as a professional, financially stable, mentally stable (it is all relative, right?) woman am I still on the lookout for change?
Ask me to move tomorrow and I’ll be all smiles! I won’t think about all the work involved. I won’t dread the endless purging, cleaning, organizing and just plain agony that I believe most people feel when they have to conquer the massive workload associated with changing homes. I will just dive in with all kinds of happiness running through me. Why is that?
Change- whether it be a change of employment, relationship status, workplace venue or changing your living quarters or arrangements, it can all be scary and downright exhausting just thinking about it. It’s the unknown, the fear of not being able to control your new environment, emotions or the outcomes. It’s that little voice that is making you doubt your decision and making you question your actions. The adversity alone can be terrifying and crippling. So how do I overcome these obstacles?
You see, it’s all about embracing newness. Life brings about changes constantly. We get influenced by others, we get bombarded with information, with ideas, with thoughts, positive or negative. So we have a choice. We can go on living exactly the same way with change unfolding before our eyes, or we can go with the flow and embrace these new ideas and natural changes and let our life evolve with them. It is completely numbing to stay at a stand still when there are changes happening continuously. An example of this is a teacher staying in a school or teaching a certain level that is no longer fulfilling. Or someone being stuck in a job that goes against their values, future vision or passion.
Here are my views on why you should embrace change:
Change is exciting! Yes, it is uncomfortable not knowing how everything is going to work out but that is what makes you feel alive! So breathe, and take it one step at a time.
Change is comforting! You can finally stop thinking about how miserable you are in your current situation. You are actually doing something about it. Even if you are okay where you are, your mind will appreciate a change of scenery and this will give that boost that maybe you didn’t know you needed!
Change is inspiring! Have you ever looked at your house or your workspace through the eyes of a stranger? It is not easy to do but let me tell you that what you have been accustomed to seeing on a daily basis is not what you think it is! This redundant view of things actually hinders progress or improvements. We just get used to things as they are. We don’t see that change needs to happen. There is nothing like a new space to inspire us to develop new projects, interests, relationships, you name it!
Change is healthy. We’ve all heard about the New Years movement. Those resolutions that last a few weeks in January but that get lost somehow when we get back to our old ways. But these little resolutions aren’t change. They are short term actions that get easily side-tracked because they lack an actual change. A real change is one that comes from deep inside. One that has been on our mind for a long time, not New Year’s eve with a drink in our hand and unserious intentions. Change has to be well thought out so that our whole body, mind and spirit anticipates the benefits of the change. It’s something to look forward to!
Change is unselfish. For example, in the classroom, a teacher that is burned out is not doing any favors to his or her students. Sometimes we have to look at others around us and make a move that will benefit not only our well being, but the happiness of others around us. Maybe we just don’t have that zest or enthusiasm anymore in a job, relationship or in our day to day lives. Maybe we need to spice things up a little in order to take care of ourselves first so we can be there in every way for our loved ones. Change is change. It’s a good thing. Embrace it!