Resisting Change
- Rachel Kerrigan
- Feb 27, 2016
- 3 min read
As humans we like to be in charge and in control of what is happening to us and around us, that is our nature. We are routine based creatures. Some people have a wonderful ability to be able to adapt at a minutes notice of a change in routine, and for other's, this is enough to send them spiralling into a world of stress and panic.
Personally, I hate change! I like routine and order and controlling how things happen in my life.
I have always struggled with change - but when diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), my ability to cope with change disappeared entirely - to the point I couldn't leave the house anymore. The house became my safe zone - the only area I knew I had some control over.
But life is a persistant teacher. The more I resisted change the more change that was thrust into my life. My life was shaken upside down and it was only when I started to learn to embrace the change - regardless of whether I liked it or not - that I started to regain control. I learnt that I can still be in charge of and in control of me - regardless of the circumstances, and regardless of the changes taking place.
“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” ~Karen Kaiser Clark
It took me a while to understand that in order to grow and to become the person I wanted to be, I needed to accept that change was a major component in that process. It is only through change and our responses to it that we learn about ourselves and grow into who we are as a result.
Everything that we experience on a daily basis changes us in some way - whether we like to admit it or not! Whilst we can't always control the circumstances around that change, we can control our reactions to it. It is these reactions and the expereinces we have as a result of our actions that shape the person we become.
Change is scary - it requires us to modify some part of our life, it causes stress - whether that be good or bad, whether you are excited by it or not. And that is ok.
It is a resonable reaction to stop, take pause and let the full circumstances of the change sink in and become clear - why not allow your mind to expand and be open to the new possibilities that the change may bring. Being open to change does not mean that you are abondoning who you are, your belief system or values. It is merely giving you the opportunity to grow in each of these areas - to look at which of these may no longer be working for you - or to see a new solution to an old problem.
I have extremely high expectations for myself and I tend to become married to my idea of or perception of what that means for me. So it was a struggle for me to acknowledge that change could help me grow, to accept that change could lead to new and even better things and to learn from each of these experiences. By taking a leap of faith and allowing change into my life, I have grown stronger and am achieving and experiencing more in my life than I ever thought possible. It has opened the door on so many new opportunities - and given me the courage to create new doors where none existed!
By facing change head on your realise just how strong you are. It takes courage to face the unknown, to welcome and embrace new things - but the rewards from doing this are amazing. Change is not our enemy - it can be our teacher and can open the door to a whole new world if we just allow it in.
