On the first day of kindergarten my now wife, Joenelle, sat in her room with a pair of bright blue safety scissors in one hand and her pigtail in her left. She smiled and confidently begins to cut a zigzag line across her hair. Moments later when her mother enters the room, Joenelle turns and proudly says, "Look what I did, Mommy!"
"What have you done?!" She shrieks, before dragging Joenelle to the bathroom to lop off the other side. If nothing else, at least she'll be symmetrical.
We all react to change differently. Some of us become excited at the arrival of something new. Some us shriek in despair or panic. Regardless of how we react, we can all agree that one thing we know for certain is change is inevitable. So how do we embrace it?
First, we should actively look forward to change when it is out of our control. Did your puppy chew up the floor in your house? Yay! A new floor. Your favorite restaurant close its doors for good? What a fun adventure it will be to find a new favorite.
Second, we should actively look FOR change when it is within our control. Just because you and your partner are okay with how your marriage is going, doesn't mean it can't improve. Just because you haven't eaten healthy for the last decade doesn't mean you can't start tomorrow. We can't let former versions of ourselves decide our future.
Embrace change when it's out of your control. Seek out change when it's within our control.
If you are tired of shrieking in despair when a pigtail is lopped off, it may be time to start embracing change.
Action
Write down three things you don't like about your life. Work to change one of them this week.
Question
What is one change you've been dreading that you should start to embrace?
Quote
“The Only Constant in Life Is Change.” - Heraclitus