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.
You’re forced to challenge your adaptability
No more training wheels, you’re stripped naked. Nothing seems routine like it used to anymore and you can’t function off pure auto-pilot. The places you walk seem to feel different under your feet.
The people you meet seem to possess different personalities and enjoy different things than what you once knew. At least for a while all of this may be true.
All of this forces you to test how adaptable you are and how well you can function without the old reliable fallbacks. You may have been a leader, maybe even a follower in your old life.
Can you continue as that person in your new life? Maybe you will grow and overcome the barriers that you now face because you’re forced to adapt. Problems such as loneliness and homesickness will begin to surface and you forced to either suffer alone or force yourself to socialize.
This is why moving away is good. You can see how well you do in a new world and truly hone your social skills with the benefit of learning how to be yourself without your old support system. You have to meet new people and adapt to a new home. You’re forced to put yourself out there to mingle among new faces and so you take risks. Pray that you’re the type to take advantage of change. Pray that you are adaptable. Once you’re done praying, go out and take action.
Prior to moving to Arizona, I was more excited than sad. I couldn’t wait to see the challenges that will face me and I wanted to test how adaptable I was. I suppose moving was a good thing because I proved to myself that I make the best out of any situation and I tossed myself head first into the new world. I made a name for myself and I grew as a person.
New opportunities to explore
If you’re in a new environment then there’s bound to be new adventures and places! Take advantage of them and explore as much as you can. Even if you downgrade from a place with beaches 20 minutes away to the middle of the desert (like I did), there are new opportunities.
No excuses so don’t lie to yourself and say there’s nothing for you. It’s impossible for there to be absolutely nothing new you can enjoy. Be open to the fact that it’s somewhere different and that you just have to get out of the house.
There are also going to be tons of interesting people you haven’t met. Take the time to get to know everyone by attending events or places that people of similar tastes would go.
You see what you took for granted
Even now after fully adapting, I still look back into my former life with awe and jealousy of my past self. I miss the simple things every other day and I yearn for a return to my home. I long for the embrace of former companions and the adventures that were left behind, unfinished.
You have a new look on life when you move because you realize that life is beautiful. How amazing is it that so many little things made you happy and you don’t even realize it until it’s gone? They always say that the grass is greener on the other side and I agree.
On the other hand, if you’re someone who absolutely despises your current home then great! Moving will be even better. Sure, you won’t get the feeling of being nostalgic, but you’ll be free! Finally, away from the old troubles, away from the terrible people who you feel plague your life. If you truly do feel this way, I’d recommend first looking into yourself before any more harsh words fall out that may not be true.
Moving is something to seriously consider if you have the means to do so. Perhaps you have legitimate excuses as to why you can’t relocate now, but don’t rule out the possibility forever. One day you should maybe sit down and think about where it would be feasible to move. It doesn’t even have to be hundreds of miles away, just explore somewhere new. Test your adaptability, find new adventures, and look back with nostalgia at life’s treasures.
I believe when a person moves outside of their normal environment it allows them to step away from their comfort zone and experience new things. Great thoughts.
Thank you Dan. I agree, when people get too comfortable that is when they fear change. They think of all the things that can go wrong or they think the old enjoyable moments will be lost forever, but it’s so easy to use this as an excuse to stagnate.
I have moved many times. It is at once terrifying and exciting. On one job transfer from Pennsylvania to Indiana (a 500 mile drive) I was very sad to be leaving friends who I had loved. But then I thought to myself about how depressing it would be to leave a city and NOT be sad. So my sadness cheered me up when I realized that I had, in fact, made good friends in my 2 short years in Pennsylvania.
And the thought of meeting new friends in the future is what spurs me in my planning to tour (slowly) the USA in a couple of years… spending a month in one city and then moving on to another. It will be scary, but as Vincent says, it will be a huge learning experience.
That’s a very profound thought. Having the realization that if you were not sad to leave then that would be the truly depressing idea is powerful. The sadness is a good measure of how good you’ve had it and without it you know that it wasn’t as amazing as it should have been. Fortunately, it seems like you’ve made good memories that were worthy of sadness, that’s what makes it worthwhile.
Keep that mindset of meeting new people because it’s a powerful motivator to be open and have fun. People love honesty and you are an incredibly honest person. Keep doing what you’re doing, Bob.