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Almost everyone fears change. Change is the devil. We all want consistency in our lives and we hold on for dear life to the familiar.

I am a strange person because I actually love change. I always see potential growth in change and I get excited. Although I’m sure if it were something tragic I’d change my tune, but as for now I’m sticking with it; my belief is that generally change is good.

Most people don’t want to leave their hometown or even go to a college away from their home. The familiar tempts them to stay and stick with the same people, habits, and environment. They make life-changing decisions based off their friends’ choices, they live in the same place to be with the same faces, and their growth stagnates most of the time as a result.

I knew I was going to leave home straight out of high school for a long time. Sure, I don’t necessarily have the answer as to why I chose Arizona out of all places when I had it great in California. The place doesn’t matter, but rather the change in scenery itself is what lit the spark in my excitement. Here are the reasons why I believe moving into change helps you grow.

People look at me as if I were crazy when they tell me to be ready at a time like 10 in the morning, then they see me set my alarm for many hours before the scheduled time. They repeat very slowly, “10… You know I said 10, right?” I end up having to nod assuredly to make sure there is no communication barrier.

Little do they know, I intend to make the alarm even earlier than they saw me set.

Sure, there are plenty of people who wake up even earlier than 6, but remember many people absolutely dread mornings.

Even on days when I don’t have obligations like usual at 8 a.m., I still make the effort to wake up hours earlier prior to anything. Why do I do this and how do you learn to become a morning person?

I still cannot believe this past month. My life just took off and it has only been improving as tons of new opportunities and doors are flying open for me. All of this happened because I ran out of excuses for myself.

I wanted to start Self Stairway back in 2011 and I kept giving myself excuses. Maybe there would be too much research involved. Maybe it wouldn’t go anywhere and I would be wasting my time. Besides, I was a college student so I figured I’d have better things to do. Does any of this sound familiar to you or any situation that you’re in?

All of these excuses just kept coming until I convinced myself it wasn’t worth the risk of failure. I was a fool over one month ago.

Quite often, a physical injury has the potential to affect not only the victim of said injury, but those who know the individual as well. People may be miserable because the ones they love is hurt or maybe a family can’t afford to eat due to the decrease in income as the person can no longer work. Not often do people consider physical pain as something that can offer new, positive opportunities.

However, as luck may have it, injury can benefit more than just insurance companies. A friend of mine tore a ligament in his knee recently and it made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time.

Whoa, what did I just say? Am I really so sadistic as to claim that I am actually happy because a friend of mine is in pain? Am I that cruel?

As with everything, there is a story that goes along with all of this.

Whether you are the richest person on earth or homeless in Seattle, every human being seeks (and deserves) intimacy. However, remember that intimacy is not always sexual.

Bantering with strangers can be a form of intimacy. When you stop at a convenience store along the Interstate to get a coke, the five-second conversation with the cashier can be intimate. I usually see bantering used among adults and the elderly, but about 3 months ago I met a guy at a QuikTrip who had mastered the art of bantering. He was about 22, Hispanic and confident.

As I was paying for my drink, he mentioned that he liked my watch. It was a simple statement, but it led to about 15 seconds of kind words to each other. There is a history to my watch and he was interested in chatting.

Usually, “bantering” is a method to joke with a stranger to bring happiness to their day and it is far removed from flirting. It is an admission between two people that this is a great life and a great planet and I am happy to chat with you.

You have zero hidden agendas in this conversation. That is the secret of a successful banter.