Change. I Dare You.

Change…I sigh obnoxiously just typing the word.

I know it (it being change) can be a good thing. I know you learn so much about yourself with change. You see the world. Do big things. Maybe even change the world. But boy, oh boy. I hate change. On a side note, don’t tell my four-year-old I just said the word hate. But I did and I do. I despise change. I guess you could call me one of those “creatures of habit” although I don’t typically consider myself a creature, but so be it. I love habit. I love routine. I love schedule. I love calendars. And man, do I love planning ahead. Probably too much if you ask my husband. In fact, if you ask my husband, he will tell you that a last minute plan I didn’t get weeks of advance notice for about sends me straight into a tizzy. I’m quick to readjust the calendar and make it all work, but not before a brief freak out moment. I don’t mean to be like that, but it just happens. In fact, I make a conscious effort to not react that way. And two children later and a constant struggle to maintain anything less than chaos, I have indeed become much less opposed to alterations in the schedule. I have learned to be a bit more of a “go-with-the-flow” kind of person, but there are still certain times that I completely oppose change: a new home and a new career.

I grew up moving around frequently throughout my childhood, almost on an annual basis, and while I enjoyed the opportunity to decorate a new space and explore a new area, it was hard to be uprooted so often and get used to sleeping in a new place. I much prefer for my home base to be exactly that, a home base. A place that will always be there to come back to when everything else is changing. But if you are considering a big move, or even a smaller move within the same city, remind yourself of all the new doors that come with the relocation. The opportunity to meet new people and possibly even a new best friend. The opportunity for your children to make a new best friend too. And of course there is the physical fresh start, a new home and a clean slate to reorganize and recreate to be your new home base. There will be new places to explore with your families. There will likely be new careers to embrace as well.

A new career can bring challenges of its own. Perhaps you are going from working outside of the home to working from home, maybe from a 9-to-5 to a stay-at-home mom, or perhaps you are taking a promotion within the same company. You will have the opportunity to improve your resume, whether that is a resume viewed by your children or your employer. Whatever the case may be, you will grow into your new position and master yet another skill.

Sure, making the change will not be easy, but it will provide endless opportunity to grow. And that is exactly what change is for. A platform to learn who you are and better who you are. You will find yourself amongst your novice place in life and settle in just fine over time. And if for some reason you don’t, there is always room for another adjustment.

So when you happen upon a time for change, when it seems all too frightening but still the right thing to do for you, I dare you to do it. I dare you to embrace the change, jump in with both feet, and you will live better for doing so.

Have you faced a big change lately?
Did you dread it or embrace it?
Feel free to share below!