Adjustment to Change and Why We Should Embrace it

For as long as I can remember, changing up my life has always been something that I have loved to do. These changes were as small as rearranging my furniture and cutting my hair; and others as drastic moving across the world. Many people say they hate change, but why is that? Because it’s not always fun and it’s not always great. In fact, it can be hell. It can makes us feel like things will never get better. As much as I love it, I do admit that change can be difficult…very difficult.

When we make a drastic life change we are normally leaving behind something that brings us overwhelming sentimental value and memories. We have developed feelings that are so strong to somewhere, someone, or something that saying “goodbye” can really feel like the end of the world even if the change isn’t necessarily negative; and when we feel that way it’s hard to see the blessing of what a new beginning has the potential to bring us.

If you follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or know me personally; then it’s been pretty obvious that coming home from Spain was not a walk in the park and was probably one of the most difficult things I have done. Leaving behind two years of freedom and independence (or what felt like it) was mind shattering; and saying goodbye to all of my Spanish friends, my host family, and my students was absolutely heartbreaking

My last day with my host family I woke up early so I could tell Paulo (their only child) goodbye before school. I remember looking into his eyes and I couldn’t even bring myself to say it and just started crying uncontrollably while telling him that I was going to miss him a lot while I hugged him. He didn’t say much as I imagine he felt sad too, and I later got a text while I was at Vigo’s airport waiting for my flight from my host dad saying that Paulo was very sad in the car on the way to school and that he was upset he wouldn’t see me for a long time. He had truly become the little brother I never had and I got so used to playing daily games of UNO and Monopoly and going to the park to play soccer or the beach to make sand forts.

Of course, everyone was very hard to say goodbye to, but Paulo was probably the hardest… funny enough as he is only 7. He really grew on me. I had developed such meaningful relationships with amazing people over two years and leaving that behind and realizing I wouldn’t see them for long time was a tough pill to swallow.

Despite these challenges, I was blinded thinking about what the future would hold. I had no idea, and I didn’t really want to know.  But while I spent my last week in Spain crying and upset, I had failed to think about or accept what coming home actually meant: a new beginning.

So here are my thoughts on change; and why we should embrace it:

It’s not the end of your story, just a new chapter.

I believe it’s a normal reaction when we are going through a big change to sometimes feel like our world is crumbling around us. More specifically if it’s a change that we are hesitant about, if it’s out of our control, or if it’s one we are scared to make. I felt this way when deciding to move home from Spain or stay. I was terrified! I had no idea what to do or which direction to turn, because either way it felt like I was depriving myself of something.

Eventually I bit the bullet, bought my plane ticket home and literally gasped when I pressed the “confirm” button when purchasing my flight. I had a HUGE pit in my stomach, I thought “what am I doing?” “is this the right thing to do?”

But the biggest thing that has helped me to adjust to the big change is realizing how blessed I am to have lived that chapter of my life abroad and how lucky I am to have the control to start a new one. Leaving Spain felt like the end of the world, but looking back, it wasn’t (obviously). Even though I am back home, I have created a life in Spain that I can always return to and that will always be there for when I am ready to go back and visit.

It will make you stronger

As the popular saying goes “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and I am a firm believer in this. Life throws us curve balls all of the time and while we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how it affects us and what we decide to learn from it. Overcoming these obstacles makes us more resilient. It makes us stronger and better. Being able to turn drastic life changes into lessons is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, because it helps us to grow mentally.

It provides new opportunities

Change brings progress, it’s what makes people and organizations more forward thinking and because of this it provides new opportunities. Change can supply us with new open doors to a better life, a happier one. While we may not realize it at first, change will usually bring a more fulfilling opportunity than what we had before if we are willing to keep an open mind and focus.

It’s a new start

No matter what, change always brings a fresh, new start and a chance to create something better. Tying in with my first point, it’s about ending one chapter and starting another. Change provides us with the opportunity to sit back, refresh, catch a second wind and hit the ground running. It gives us redirection and focus to really sit down and think about what WE want and what is best for us.

All in all change is what makes life exciting. Without it, we would always be stuck in the same routine, living the same boring life everyday. Life would be very much predictable and a lot less fun.

Next time you are faced with the decision to make a drastic change or not;  limit your resistance, learn to accept it and see where it can take you. I promise you won’t regret it.

As always, thank you for reading!

♥

Molly

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