Journey of Learning
The older I get, the more I realize the only constant thing is this life is change. As much as I personally dislike change that’s not initiated by me, unfortunately it’s a regular part of life and there’s nothing I can do about it. Sometimes change can be instigated by a loved one experiencing a difficult time in their life, forced upon you by a new law enacted in society, or even opportunistically placed in your path to steer you clear of danger.
Every person we come across, situation we face, and conversation we have adds to our repertoire of knowledge. Everything we do helps us to learn more about ourselves, the world we live in, and the people around us. It’s important to pay close attention to hopefully avoid repeating certain lessons multiple times. Trust and believe, if you don’t grasp a concept the first time, the powers that be - the Lord, the Universe, whatever higher being you believe in - will present the lesson in different formats until you finally get the idea.
Sometimes life even involves unlearning and relearning. If you’ve ever been comfortable completing a task in a certain way and all of a sudden had to use a different method, it’s easy to become stuck in your ways and outright refuse to adapt simply because it’s different from what you’re used to. Certain injuries may require you to relearn how to walk or use your limbs differently than you’ve ever had to before. While adversity to change is good in some circumstances, generally speaking, it’s not the best to foster growth and innovation.
Learning how to deal with change is one of the most valuable lessons anyone can learn. It empowers you and gives you the tools you need to not freak out at any minor inconvenience. It helps you to focus on what matters most and allows you to compartmentalize things that don’t need to be front and center. For example, if I’m aware and comfortable with the fact that change is inevitable, I won’t be as distraught when said change actually occurs.
Most of the time, positive change doesn’t happen overnight. We all want to be millionaires and billionaires, but the likelihood of that much money falling into your lap is slim to none. Reaching the pinnacle of your career takes years of tedious, consistent work. You have to learn skills and meet people who can help you get to your ultimate goal. It doesn’t happen at the snap of a finger.
On the flip side however, negative actions like getting into a massive amount of credit card debt or a huge car loan can actually happen quicker than you think. Same deal with participating in illegal actions or taking unhealthy substances. Addictions last for years, but typically start the first few times you take part in the activity. While some negative change is unavoidable like weather disasters and health diagnoses, a lot can be avoided by being smart and not taking unnecessary risks.
We can see the seasons change very distinctly in a time lapse video, but it happens extremely slow in real time. Same deal with flowers blooming. We only really notice once the flower has fully opened, but we don’t see the constant, gradual change happening right before our eyes.
Humans change in a similar nature. Yes, you might get those one off situations where someone wakes up one day completely different from the person they were before, but for the vast majority of people and situations, change takes more time and persistence. If you experience something negative multiple times in your life versus just once in your life, you may become resentful or traumatized towards that particular situation or person.
Having a baby is one example of an immediate change that happens often. One moment you’re pregnant and the next moment you’re holding a tiny human that you’re 100% responsible for. It’s distinct, abrupt, and very noticeable. There are only a few specific instances of change to this magnitude. Most change is hard to quantify and easy to ignore on a daily basis. For example, growing your hair to a certain length requires a long term commitment. Most of the times, you can’t tell your hair grew unless you look back at pictures taken weeks, months, or even years ago. You also have to learn what works best for your hair texture to retain length on your hair care journey.
One thing for certain, two things for sure, life is constantly moving and changing. It’s up to us to continue learning ways to adapt to ultimately minimize the stress that comes from new beginnings. Once we know better, we have to try to do better in all walks of life.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
