Change is Inevitable
Hello there! So I've been introspecting on my life for quite a few days: I realized I had grown up. I have grown close to some new people, but grown apart from others. It did hurt, but reflecting on the good days struck me with the realization that life is a combination of all good and bad - even if you did not want to change it, it did change. It was hard for me to accept the change, but I got to learn that in order to experience new and better things, you need to experience change first!
Growing up, I've witnessed several instances where I wanted to stay in the present forever. But guess what? The present never stayed the same, the change occured and even though I was disheartened, I moved on and accepted it. This leads to my first question.
What is it that makes change so difficult to deal with?
To answer this, I would give a small example from my childhood.
When I was younger, I was greatly fond of birthday parties, especially the ones which were of my close ones. I always had a lot of fun, and isn't it so? You get to be with your loved ones, laugh with them, dance with them, eat delicious food and have the best time of your life. However, it is certain that the parties won't last forever, will they? They come to an end. And when they did, I felt this sense of emptiness the other day.
It's a very small example of a very trivial change of emotions that occurred with me at a young age. A day filled with joy and happiness accompanied by the next day of emptiness and longing for the previous day.
Now though, when I look back, I realized how innocent I was. The real reason why that kind of change affected me so much was because I failed to accept that my happiness could not last forever. I wanted to be in the present endlessly, because it brought me immense pleasure.
Chasing for pleasure would always have me end up in pain and sorrow. One is afraid of the negative phase that life has in for them in future. But, life isn't always happy-happy?
Change is difficult to deal with because it is comfortable to live in the positive phase of your life, that you want it to last longer. But comfort zone kills you, kills a part of you everyday until you've become a zombie!
For instance, look at nature.
Is it entirely made of sweet things like honey? Certainly not.
Is everything as bitter as the neem leaves?
Is everything as sour as lemons?
And is everything as tasteless as water?
When we walk out and observe the diversity of nature, we come to realize that everything has its own uniqueness and beauty. Why is it so, that nature is not solely made of sweet things such as honey but also of bitterness and sourness too? Because, nature is wise and understands that everything doesn't need to be same to be pleasant or appealing.
Isn't life similar? Life is not always glitters and glows, but can also be a steep climb. It can not always be sweet and pleasant, but tough and rough. But that's the way of life, that's what life is. This leads to another question.
How can we learn to accept change?
Change is inevitable. No matter how much you want things to remain just like they are, they don't. Deep inside, we all know that nothing is perpetual.
Let us understand change. When you are feeling low, would you not want it to change? Would you not hope that things eventually turn okay, and everything will be peaceful. That is life, my dear!
When you are happy, cherish the present but also understand that good times change. You will also face the bad times, but remember to have faith in yourself, and that it won't last forever. Don't try to control the circumstances when it wasn't in your hands to begin with. You need to learn to be flexible to changes in life, in order to lead a life you won't despise.
Some days are rainy, some days are sunny, and some days are windy. The season changes from winter to spring to summer and to winter again. The leaves of the trees fall and wither away giving way to the new ones to come.
If nature is so welcoming to changes, then you should too.
