You Can’t Avoid Change If You Want To Grow

Some people think change is scary. I get that, but I’ve never been one of them. Is change uncomfortable? Yes. But something to be avoided? Absolutely not.

We live in a Universe that is progressive. Every 365 days, whether you are in Australia or Antarctica, you are along for the ride of making a lap around the sun. When we make this lap, we are not going in circles, back around to where we were; with each sunrise and sunset and each cycle of the moon, the Universal cosmos are progressing, changing, evolving.

What does this have to do with you? This tells us two things. First, it tells us that, as beings of the Universe, we are destined to grow and evolve by nature. Second, if you stay in one place but everything else moves forward, where does that leave you?

Sometimes change can be extremely uncomfortable because it can mean leaving major parts of ourselves behind. It can mean leaving people behind, which sometimes means heartbreak. It can mean taking a leap of faith and leaving that cushy job for one that might mean you can’t go out on Friday and you can’t get your latte every day.

A lot of the time, change is uncomfortable in the everyday moments. It means you dress a little differently because you’re wearing what you want to wear, not what other people think looks good. It means when people around you are gossiping or complaining, you gracefully walk away because that’s not you anymore. It means you have to find some new places to hang out that feel more like this new you.

Uncomfortable? Yes. Not changing is far worse.

There is no level of discomfort that will rival the pain you will feel when you are living a life that is out of alignment with your nature. Your nature is to grow. Your nature is to change. If you don’t believe me, look around. Look at the plants, look at the ocean, look at animals—we exist because of evolution. Growth is so central to your core that by law, when you are not growing, you are dying, and you cannot grow and stay the same.

When you fear change, you have to remember that everything is changing because everything is progressing. Therefore, if you do not progress, you have ultimately decided to go backwards. Do you want to go backwards?

You are not alone. Honestly, most of the major changes in my life (and there have been a lot of them) have been very uncomfortable—a lot of tears, a lot of confusion. It hurts to leave people and things behind, and you will grieve parts of yourself that don’t belong in your future. I guess my question to you is, what is the alternative?

If you aren’t willing to change, if you insist upon staying in the same place because you’re afraid of discomfort, what does that mean for your life? It means you will be living out of alignment; nothing will feel right, and eventually you will be left with pain. It means you will not grow, and as the rest of the world progresses, you will be left behind.

I know it sounds harsh, but I need you to know that if you intend to live the highest version of yourself, to see those big dreams you have come to fruition, to be the kind of person that actually makes a change in this world, you have to be willing to change yourself first.

You have to be willing to become the person who achieves those big dreams, and that person is inside you, but you’re going to need to grow and change in order to set them free.

For me, change is uncomfortable, sure. But the idea of never growing into the person I want to be because I was afraid of change? That is scary.