Everything Changes

I have a family member whom I have repeatedly heard say, “I like me the way I am, there is no reason to change, I am staying this way.” Not willing to change… Huh. I beg to differ on that, everything changes regardless. In general, people do not like change. Yet everywhere around us, change is happening. The town and cities we live in are constantly changing. Our bodies grow older every minute, young kids get taller and the cars we drive wear out. So, everything around us is in a constant state of change…so does this mean we are too? Here is a thought to ponder: does money change people or does it simply magnify what is already there? Does addiction change people, or does it only show what is already within? Does love change people or…well, you get the picture. People say that change is hard, yet things change all the time, all around us. Everyday, trees grow taller and grass grows longer. Seasons change, the weather changes, our clothes wear out, our hearing weakens, our weight is up or down, and worst yet, our hair falls out and or turns grey! (I can relate to both of those.) The more I think of these, the more I realize the list of change could go on forever. From everything I can see, people don’t resist change, they resist being changed. This makes more sense. When it is our choice to change, we can even like it. Losing weight, starting a new job or career, making a new relationship or implementing new habits are all change and we embrace them. Notice how people enjoy the season of fall. They embrace it! The leaves turn beautiful colors, vegetation becomes green again and the warm nights are replaced with crisp, cool air. That is change if I ever saw it. So what is it so many people resist when it comes to change? Most emotions and feelings are based on two factors, security and fear. Our nature is to hang on to what we have while feeling comfortable having it. If we like what we have, why change it? After all, changing could mean loss and that is fearful. To a degree, refusing to change is selfish. Nature and all else around us constantly change. In fact, change is beneficial in many ways. Think about the farmer who plants a crop. He is banking on the changing weather to aid him in producing a harvest. Our society is largely dependent on seasons for travel, while our reservoirs and dams use snow runoff for the benefit of irrigation and summer activities. It’s not that we don’t like change; we just don’t want others changing us. In fact, we need change. Our lives are dependent on it. Better off to accept it and embrace it, if you haven’t already. Have a blessed Friday everyone.