Oh, how change can seem so daunting, and scary. It can make everything feel like it is being turned upside down, and burned. Sometimes, though, it can make things seem wonderful, magical, rewarding, and great in every possible way! Change is a funny thing. The one thing about it though is, as much as it can make us want to run away from it, and try to avoid it as much as possible, we cannot avoid it. Change is inevitable. We may not be able to avoid, run, or hide from change, but we sure can try to approach it differently.
Approaching change in a positive way can be a very large challenge for some and a very simple behavior for others. Along the same lines of "every person is different from another", every persons' approach to change is also different. Some people, like me, have a very hard time adjusting to all types of change. Now, I am not going to say I have a super easy time dealing with changes now, but I feel that I have gotten a little better over time in the way I approach change. Others may say differently, but I feel like I have started to get better. I am by no means saying I am handling changes super well, but I am learning to handle it better slowly, but surely. For anyone else like me, it takes a conscious decision to try and work towards approaching change in a more positive and calm way. Having an anxiety disorder can definitely add to difficulty with this. At least for me, it definitely is part of my issue with handling changes. I will be touching on my experience with anxiety VERY soon. Change is not always a bad thing, but it can still be hard even when it is a good thing.
When we see, or even hear about change, we are either excited or not very excited at all. Some forms of change include things such as, losing a pet, losing a loved one, or even having a loss of a job, a change is schedule, a change in plans with someone or something, etc. These things are just a few types of change that can be difficult to deal with sometimes. Most of the time, people can eventually bounce back from the sadness and devastation that comes with some of those things. Sometimes people don't and that is ok. But, between those two types of people, there is a difference. The people who got better over time made the conscious decision to not let that knock them down, but may also have had a good support system, and a healthy mentality. In contrast, for the ones who got knocked down and couldn't recover as easily, maybe they did not have a great support system. Maybe those people mentally struggle more, and they may have even not made that conscious decision to get back up and keep going. In order to recover from any type of change that may be viewed as negative, and that may hurt, or even be traumatizing, you HAVE to make that decision yourself to get up and keep trying to pull through. No one can make that decision for you. Yes, it may be scary, but if you have the right resources, and right support YOU CAN make it through!
When change can be a positive thing, and maybe nerve-wracking at the same time, that is so beyond okay! Everyone, I am sure, gets nervous even for positive changes. I think that response could come along with the question of if the positive change will last. Thoughts of if the change is really the best kind for you or not. For changes that could be positive, it really takes again making that conscious decision to go after it and take the risk to see where it takes you. For example, I made the change to move from where I lived to another state to go to college. I sat and thought on that idea for what felt like a while. I wasn't happy where I was. I was unsure if making the move would be as beneficial as I thought it could be for me. I was scared of what my family might think of me making that choice. I was afraid they'd think I was abandoning them, or something like that. I went through the thoughts of leaving the 3 or so friends I regularly kept in touch with. I had to go through all of these thoughts before I could decide to make that change. I had to personally evaluate so many things before I could say confidently that it was what I wanted. Granted, some of those thoughts were probably unnecessary things that I managed to come up with, but fast forward a couple of months, and here I am! Out of state, going through more college classes, and feeling happier than I did before! So, was making this change a mix of feeling a little scared, but also excited? Absolutely! Did I find the result to be a positive one? Yes, yes I definitely did!
Even though I will post this before the semester is over, while on the topic of change, and after briefly mentioning my change to move for school. Why don't we do an end of the semester recap/update! This first semester at UVU I would say has been a really good one! I really enjoyed taking my Early Childhood Music and Movement course, and my Human Development and Lifespan course! I found both of these classes to be very interesting! Both of them hit me in various ways. I definitely think my human development class is one that everyone should take during their scholarly careers. I feel thankful for being able to have such good professors as well! Some things I have noticed about this school in comparison to the school I was at previously would be, the time in which my advisor and professors get back to me is so much better than that of my previous school. I really like how much nicer the people seem at this school. Not just professor wise and staff-wise, but students as well! It has been nice getting to have one friend who not only lives where I live but also goes to UVU with me. Meeting up with her and her friend for lunch on the days we have classes has been really nice! Also, having my cousin who works on campus, and meeting up with her occasionally for coffee has been fun too! It has been fun getting to explore the campus, as well as, having my friend from my human development class show me a few other routes to places on campus. I can't wait to see what else is in store for me. Now, onto another thing about change!
Another change that is about to happen, I say "about to happen", because this is going up on the 21st. On the 27th I have my birthday! I turn 21 this month. What the heck? 21. That is so weird to think. 21 years of life and many experiences and adventures lived, with many more still yet to come. I find that a lot of people associate turning 21 with going out, partying, and getting...well...drunk. Now, while that is our societies norm, that is not how I personally intend to celebrate my 21st. In fact, I am going to be having just a small get together with a bunch of my friends and my family! I personally don't want to celebrate in the traditional way for a few reasons. The first reason being, that it just simply does not fit who I am as a person to celebrate in that fashion. Secondly, I take medications for a condition I have called epilepsy and because of that, I do not want to risk hurting myself possibly even more by drinking while taking medications. Thirdly, the thought of being "drunk" terrifies me. I have seen first hand how alcohol can affect some people, and quite honestly I do not want to know what it is like to be drunk, and what drunk me may look like. I have seen alcohol turn kind-hearted people into some really rude people, and I have seen alcohol turn good people into just more goofy people. Alcohol affects every person differently, and I would just rather not see what dimension it would take me to. Haha! Finally, one of the other reasons I do not want to celebrate in that traditional way is, because I simply do not want large amounts of that toxin and poison in my body. I have enough toxins in my body from the environment, the things I eat, etc. I also have enough chemicals in my body from again things around me and my medication, so I would also be too afraid to see what too much of one chemical and toxin would do being mixed with those other factors. With all of this being said, how someone else wants to celebrate is entirely up to them. This is just me talking about how I see it, and how I am choosing to approach my 21st birthday. What is right for me, may be totally opposite of what is right for someone else, so please know that. I cannot wait for the next years ahead to see what else is in store for me. Both good and bad. I am ready to continue learning through my life, and I am ready to keep growing and discovering who I AM! Thanks for reading this far if you have!
Finally, in the end, scheme of things, change, and how one approaches it is definitely a part of self-growth. Finding better ways to approach change mentally, emotionally, and as a whole is a process. It can be a long process, or even a short one. It just depends on each individual. I still have a little ways to go until I can say I have gotten a lot better at my approach to change, but the most important part is that I am on my way to approaching change better and healthier. Change is going to be scary sometimes. It is always necessary. It is not always gloomy, but it can be quite the contrary! If you are someone who struggles with dealing with change, do not be hard on yourself for that. Many other people struggle with change too. If you decide to try and work towards finding ways to approach change in a healthier way, then that is absolutely awesome, and know you CAN do it! If you do not struggle with change, then that is great! If you know someone who struggles with change, maybe try to find small ways to help them get through changes! Thanks for reading! See you again soon with my next post!
Best Regards,
The Inspiring Hummingbird
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