I have done these words from Anatole France multiple times. This time I went vertical and bright. As I reread them, I was reminded of the times I refused to change and how bland the path was after that decision. Safety is not always the most exciting or growth friendly way to travel through life. To change is the only way we become who we truly need to become.
And yes, you don’t have to remind me that change is hard. Sometimes it is indeed very painful. Sometimes the worst kind of change in the one we know we have to choose in order to go through the pain and come out on the other side better, stronger and more of the person we want to be NOT the person circumstances have forced us to become. And yes, whether we like it or not we have to become something, someone other that who we ware today. It’s called growing up…that darn being an adult thing again!
I have a young friend who did not get accepted into the college she wanted, and now finds herself a bit stuck. High School graduation is looming around the corner and she has many tough choices to make…change is on her horizon, no doubt. We have been texting (which is what they do, right!) and I told her some of my best life adventures came about as a result of being disappointed and changing my mind to move forward. I let her know that delay does not mean denial, and that one school does not mean she isn’t going to college. I’m sure we will text a great deal more on this topic…which is cool with me.
That discussion has reminded me of ALL the changes I have experiences and made, which led me to where I am today. And it made me think about upcoming changes that I can see down the horizon that will lead me towards new people and places. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. There is comfort in safety, in knowing everything about your world. Being in control, having a reliable schedule, activities and even the same people means we KNOW what will happen and do not have to think or change. And yes, there are times in life when those are the exact circumstances we need to survive.
Yet life is more than just surviving. To become we must grow, and to grow we must change. It’s the caterpillar who must die to self to become a butterfly. Maybe in order to change we need to leave what we know and face the unknown, a sort of death to who we are to become the more beautiful butterfly version of ourself. If nothing else change indeed does keep us on our toes.
Let me encourage you to think about how you want/need to change to become the person you truly want to be. And, believe me, life on the other side of change is better than you ever imagined!
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