Gandhi contradicted himself. Yes. One of our world’s most celebrated peacemakers. How?
He changed.
Growing up he thought it was a good thing to wear nice European clothes in England. Later, he realized that the colonization of India penetrated even to the level of attire. He encouraged Indians to weave their own clothes to empower them in their identity.
It was exactly in his change that he understood what he needed to do with his life.
While I’m not certain about this, I would guess that some of Gandhi’s friends might have been confused when he decided to stop wearing European fashion forever. But he needed to do it to free himself.
It’s ok to change and develop. It might be hard, but it has to be done.
There’s a Buddhist idea that says that we can’t hold onto things. Everything is impermanent, even people. Everyone changes to some extent. If you hold onto to who a person is, instead of loving them for who they are now, you will be disappointed.
When I went to college, I changed many of my views on life. Going home and seeing friends and family was difficult because I didn’t understand how to interact with them, and them with me It was like I was a new person. Everyone still loved me, but they were confused about who they were loving. Why had the most devout Catholic stopped going to church? Why was the girl with nervous energy relatively calm? I was (and still am) changing my religious views, world philosophy, values, and ways of life. The core of who I was was being shook. It scared me, and I could tell it made those around me nervous as well.
Though they were confused and maybe a bit frustrated because of it, they still fostered an environment for me to grow in. I am extremely lucky for that.
My relationships with others were difficult for a while, and something that used to upset me the most was when people would ask what happened to me. Where was the Jessie they knew and loved? Was I no longer me? No. I am always Jessie.
From this change I learned two things: first, is that we have to grow, and that can hurt. The second is that we have to be open to knew things, big or small. I used to denounce vegans as unnatural and insulting God by denying his gift of animals for food. Now, I understand how veganism helps the natural world to flourish. In a more simple way, I always thought bagels were gross, but have grown to love them.
Maybe people don’t get me or why I change, but I had to do it in my search for truth and myself. People might not understand why you change your views, they might be upset about it, but you can’t live for anyone else.
You may wonder how you can rectify your past ideas and self with your future self. The answer is that you have to keep searching for what is true. It may leave you confused about your future and embarrassed about your past, but you can’t move forward without being true.
You’re allowed to change. Be the you that makes your heart happy and your soul soar.
