Change is hard. Yet, it is the one constant thing in our lives. Thus, we must learn how to deal with it.
It’s difficult to accept and cope with change because most of the time, we like order, we like familiarity and we like understanding what’s going on around us. Dealing with change is not fun and choosing to take on new things is an even greater challenge.
But, with great risk comes great reward.
The key to being OK with change is the ability to adapt. Without adapting, we can’t expect to react well to anything life throws at us. While this skill is one of the most important ones we can learn, it is not taught by reading about it or watching an instructional video.
It is learned through practice. We can’t learn how to adapt without placing ourselves in situations that scare or challenge us.
At camp when I was younger, I remember this feeling being called the “yellow light.” If we were too scared and uncomfortable, that was the “red light.” However, if we were too comfortable in the “green light zone,” that wasn’t good either. We were supposed to find a healthy balance of getting out of our comfort zones while remaining safe.
That’s part of the reason why I believe college has done a lot for me. It’s forced me to put myself out there, to challenge myself to meet new people and try new things. And because I’ve learned how to adapt, I can put myself into more difficult, scarier or challenging situations than before.
Because of the ability to adapt, change isn’t as scary. We can move to different states or countries, we can make new friends and create relationships and we can take a new job. There’s nervousness, tears, pain and fear. But, not without the mindset that things will get better and this change is helping us grow.
Once we learn how to adapt to change, we can seize life instead of simply tolerating it. We can take leaps where we once took baby steps.
