I Am Changing

I read these words today, and they spoke to me, they resonated with me. Today in my 40s, one of the main things that has changed about me is my views on change. I have always fought it or feared it, but now I embrace it.
Change, although not always positive, endows fundamental shifts to your being, to your mindset, to your soul. The dictionary defines change as “to make or become different”. My definition is to make or become better.
I remember as a young child, how change was a normal part of life having moved several times between Argentina and the U.S. Changes in culture, changes in language, changes in homes, changes in food, changes in music, and changes in friends quickly became part of my norm and identity.
As a result, I became a quick adapter of change at a very young age. As I got older, and we stopped moving, I quickly found comfort and safety in the routine. A little too much I would say – at last I was settled.  I would then become a bundle of nerves if I had to start a new class or a new job, if I had to go to a place where I didn’t know anyone, if I had to travel, if I had to attend a conference by myself, if I had to make new friends. I really just liked staying in my bubble, in my comfort zone.
Eventually I realized I couldn’t control what changed or what didn’t change. Sometimes the changes were insignificant, like the time I was in a car accident and my favorite car of all times was declared a total lost, and other changes were monumental and soul changing, like when I became a mom for the first time.
Change can be for the better or it can be for the worse, but regardless, it alters your normal way of thinking, your normal way of doing things. Change can be stressful, it can tear up your soul, it can mark you for life. But it is precisely these things that add a stamp to our soul and help you grow.
I now seek change. I seek meeting new people. I seek new challenges. I seek the unknown because it forces me to step out of the box and think in a different way, which is a major driver in my personal and professional growth. I will no longer hide from change or fear it as I once did because life is just too short to live in a bubble.
What changes in your life have been of great value to you?