Change affects different people in different ways. Some people love change and welcome it with open arms, and those people usually have an easy time letting go and moving forward. Important life events become exciting and are easy to look forward to, because such people know that with change comes new opportunities and fresh starts. Others don’t have such an easy time dealing with change, and they usually dread the arrival of it because of the disruption it brings. I often find myself there, feeling nostalgic and overly sentimental when a big change approaches. Even happy changes, like new job offers and weddings, put me in a place where I feel torn between my love of the past and my excitement for the future, and I always end up hoping the change will be put off for a bit longer.
Nostalgia has a great influence on our opinions towards change, since it links us to our past in a way that makes us want to keep things the same. When something is good, it becomes comfortable, and it is often daunting to embrace change if it jeopardizes the comfort we’re already used to. It’s difficult to let go of what’s familiar and well-liked, such as leaving a school after graduation or moving, because it’s not preferable to say goodbye to something you don’t want to leave. But oftentimes we can’t avoid the changes that affect us, so it is in our best interest to embrace them.
When change is unavoidable, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent or prolong it, it’s important to make the most of it. Learn to embrace change as best as you can so that it ends up having a positive influence on your life. Try to list all of the positive effects of a change instead of the negative effects of whatever is being left behind. Think of all of the ways your life will be better because of the change; it’s not worth your energy to worry about something you have no control over. In a situation where change is unavoidable, it is both better and easier to change your mindset rather than the event. Instead of tuning out the change or letting it bring you down, let yourself adapt to it. Be positive and open-minded, and change will find you upright, strong, and excited for its arrival.
