How to Feel Optimistic About Change

We live in a world where we are constantly judged. Judged for the clothes we wear, our hairstyle, what our Spotify playlist looks like. It is hard not to feel judged for the things we do or for the person we are. One thing that should be prevented from being judged is the way we plan our future or how we want our future lives to look like. Because we live in a progressive society, where everything is constantly changing, whether it be what's on the news or the daily specials in our favorite local coffee shop, change is inevitable. I've come to learn the hard way that we can't "change" change. We have to learn how to embrace it and make it a part of our everyday lives. Change is scary, and so is the feeling of optimism. We never know when that optimistic feeling will break down and leave us feeling torn apart. But we do know that we can't hold onto negative thoughts forever… I used to be afraid of change. I was always one to want things to stay exactly the way they were. When I first transferred schools, I remember how I became afraid of how things will go on or be like from the moment I arrived at my different campus. Will I still be the same person? Will I like the same things? All these questions started buzzing around in my mind, as I entered the gates of my current university. If I were to tell someone who is struggling with the idea of change, I would first ask them what they are most afraid of about change. Are they afraid of the way people would see them? Are they afraid that they won't be able to find anyone like them? Or is it the opportunities that are daunting? Change is such a broad topic, where there is so much to be said about. Well for me, one thing that made me fear change, is introspection. I became afraid of how I would look at myself years down the road. Will I be happy I made the right choice or will I regret making a choice that I feel that I shouldn't have. But these things helped me think of what to avoid and what to keep for the future. So here are some ways I found that can help someone feel optimistic about change:Be confident in the person you are today, not a few years ago-When we "change," we feel like a different person and others may see us that way as well. But that shouldn't have to stop us from embracing the person we see when we look in the mirror today. Change doesn't happen overnight, but in baby steps until we become a better version of ourselvesLog down moments of change you see or encounter- Every time you realize a part of yourself that has changed and making a simple note of it in a planner or journal will help you keep track of the person you are becoming. Because no one can become a completely new individual overnight, it also takes time to muster how one is changing and in what ways.Don't try to stop change from happening- Change is a natural process. Halting it or stopping it won't necessarily help us from feeling unafraid about it. Sometimes it is better to accept things the way they are rather than trying to take a step backwards.
Since I have encountered some kind of change once, I have a better chance of knowing what to predict.