Change CHānj/ verb

1. make or become different

Change — such a simple word. But seriously, what’s with the negative connotation? I think that part of it is we feel such an intense pressure to please everyone, and live up to everyone’s expectations of who we are based on who we’ve been in the past. I also think it stems from a fear of appearing hypocritical, changing your mind, or your views on something can come off as phony.

Here’s my problem with that: if you’re not changing, then you’re not growing. If you’re not growing then you’re ironically not becoming fully yourself. There’s no way that everyone can constantly stay stagnant. Without growth, you’ll never become a better person. Even if some people do change for the worse, they’re going to learn from each mistake they make, so simply let them be. Let people be happy, and become who they want to be. Don’t be the person who constantly expects everyone to stay in the same place.

In a world that is constantly changing, it only makes sense for us to adapt. Change, believe it or not, is not a sign of crumbling from uncertainty; in fact, it makes us stronger. "If you don’t bend with the winds, then you’re just going to snap from them."

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the same person I was a few years ago. Since I’ve started college I’ve become a more empathetic, open-minded person, less judgmental person. Sure, my interests may have changed, I may spend a little more time partying on the weekends than I used to, I may have made new friends and picked up new hobbies, but that doesn’t make me a bad person. The worst thing you can be in life is complacent.

A few years ago, or even last year, if anyone would’ve told me I would be who I am right now, I wouldn’t have believed it for a second. Because who I was before, was someone who my six-year-old self would not be proud of. I used to be a mouse. I used to have very little self-confidence. I used to let people walk all over me. I used to let how other people feel about me affect me, and now I take it with a grain of salt because what’s important is how I feel about me.

Since coming to college, I’ve changed a lot. For the first time in a long time, I love who I am becoming. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of my family, and how truly thankful I am for them, because despite my changing they have always been there to back me up. I’ve learned to be myself, and not try to impress other people, contrary to what some people think. I’ve started to speak up for myself, instead of being a doormat, telling people how I really feel. I’ve made friends that make me want to be a better person, and remained friends with those who accept me for who I am.

I take my grades and my future very seriously, and I’ve become involved in things that truly interest me and make me happy. I may not always seem like I have my priorities in line, but I know what is important and I am doing what I have to do. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am and it’s certainly been a bumpy road.

We’ve all made our fair share of mistakes, and I am no exception. The great thing about change, though, is if if one day you wake up and don’t like the person you see in the mirror, you have the power to change it. People will talk about you, people will judge you. You may lose some people along the way. People will say things that hurt your feelings. The most important thing is to remember who you are, and who you want to become.

So next time you hear the words “you’ve changed,” don’t defend yourself, if you’re proud of the person you’ve become, just smile and say “Yes, I have.”

Don't let anyone, ever, make you feel bad about not being the same person you were a few years ago. Everyone changes, it's simply part of life.