The holidays are here, the break has commenced, and you're left in a panic of driving around busy streets and being stuck in backed up traffic.
At the same time, it's also time for child-like joy, kindness, and expression. It becomes easy to embrace the things you used to love with holiday cheer. Hot chocolate, presents, family, decorations, lights, and cold weather.
It's easily my favorite season; I like to think it's as if the world and nature is telling everyone not to be afraid to act like a child again.
Laugh. Dance. Be free. Enjoy life. It quickly reminds us that though we've grown up, we don't have to "grow up." But at the same time, things change.
Now. I'm decently okay with this idea of growing up in age and accepting responsibilities, and even though I have a hard time with making choices, I understand that it's necessary and important. I get it. Sometimes we have to grow up in regards to age and life, but not in who we are. I will always love childish things and continue to act like a kid because that's one of the best ways to survive the insanity that is this life.
I also get that all this needs to be approached with wisdom, understanding, and maturity. Life isn't a joke. It can be cruel at times, and will backhand you faster than you can say "yolo."
But it's also a journey, full of laughs and amazing adventure. So take it and make it the best journey you can.
I've been mulling over this concept known as change for a while. Change is hard to define. How do you define change without using the word change? The literal definition would be, "the act or instance of making or becoming different." An interesting notion for sure, one we're all well acquainted with.
However, we all treat change a little bit differently.
Some fear change, others embrace it. Few might chase it, while still others run from it.
There are even those who appear to be indifferent towards it. All that is to say that while there's many reasons for each individual's reactions, it seems logical to assume that part of the basis for these reactions lies within a person's temperament and personality, which is also effected by the environment in numerous ways.
Someone who's incredibly stubborn is naturally going to hate change, as it is in stubbornness' definition to be persistent in their position.
Meanwhile, someone who is spontaneous seeks out change intensely, even to the point where it can become obsessive.
I make this point to emphasize that there are tons and tons of different personalities and people that react to change differently, but usually not in those extremes.
For instance, there may be someone who loves change, but that doesn't necessarily mean they go and seek it out. If they find a steady pattern or uniform in their day that's satisfactory, they're more than likely to keep it that way until they're required to change it. Though, when they're required to change a consistency of theirs, they do so with open arms, perhaps because they realize they need it. There's a word for this kind of person: pragmatic. Pragmatism is an often overlooked trait.
In a way, I see that life is full of change, and it's unavoidable. Things simply happen, and when they do, there's nothing you can do about it. Plans won't always work out perfectly. That's simply a part of life. It's those larger aspects of our lives that we cling to for stability and comfort. Things like our families or friends, those that we love.
Our ability to survive and have a home to live in. A place to sleep and water to drink. We find security in these things, and can hardly imagine going without them.
There are plenty of different changes that happen in life, but for the most part they fall into two different categories: external change and internal change.
External change is some of those aspects I just described, moving to a new city, plans being ruined, sudden events, and fluctuations in relations with people. You get the idea.
Internal change, however, is a result of the external changes in life.
For example, in drastic circumstances, one's mother gets in a car crash and is fatally wounded. Several days later, she dies while this person watches her in the hospital. It's only natural for this to change the person. Something so sudden and intense is bound to change the attitude, thoughts, and outlook on life of such an individual, even if it's only temporary.
A sort of bitterness grows, for the world, for God, for people, anything that can be blamed for such an unfortunate event. If that individual doesn't let go of that bitterness, it will eat away at their heart and they'll develop such a pessimistic view on life and others that might never have even been remotely there before.
They've changed internally. The way they responded to the external change influenced their internal attitude and perspective towards life. Some would argue that instead of this changing their personality, it's bringing out the worst side of that personality. It shows a side of them that is completely invisible outside of that sort of external change.
Our responses to our external changes can easily shape our lives and who we choose to be. Whether we embrace change, ignore it, or simply hate it and dwell on it, they all are reactions and all influence who we become.
Humanity is so incredibly unpredictable, just like life. The different kinds of internal changes are endless and countless, and every person is bound to respond to external change in an alternative way from any other individual.
That's what makes humanity beautiful; our ability to adapt and respond to change in different ways. To be unique. To be strong and maintain our will despite the fact we should have lost our will long ago. Our ability to have joy and hope in the impossible circumstances. To live life and change for the better. I hope that maybe you might be willing to change for the better.
Hoping not to get backhanded by life,
Josiah Serravalle.
