One must always be open to transformation. This one line truly defines who I am. I always try to stay open to being transformed, being open to change, being open to life. One true constant in life is that nothing is constant. Change is inevitable and being able to accept and adjust to the constant changes in life is essential to survival.
I have had people in my life that did not do well with change. It can be scary. It can be unsettling. It can cause people to be forced out of their comfort zone. Yet change can be exciting and stimulating. How boring it would be if every sunrise and sunset were the same, if every person was the same.
Each day I encounter people who would rather live unhealthy and unhappy lives because change is too hard. When people tell me living healthier is hard. I tell them that dying is easy and permanent. Why would anyone choose to be unhealthy and unhappy? There has to be some payoff for them that isn't apparent to those on the outside. I think this is something I will never understand.
I recently ended a relationship with someone that was very important in my life. We were both unhappy yet unwilling to change the culture of our relationship to be happy together. I decided that I did not want to be unhappy anymore and felt leaving the relationship was my best path to happiness at this time in my life. It was a change that has been hard, but the time on my own has opened my eyes to many things about myself and where I want to be.
All of us need to take time for self-discovery throughout our lives. We can't get so caught up in the day to day trials of relationships, careers, children, money, etc that we forget to keep ourselves "tuned up".
When I was a little girl my father used to do something that drove me crazy. He would frequently take a different route to get to the same place. I always wanted to take the route with which I was most familiar. He said he just liked to try a different way some times. I never really understood until I was older. Now I always try different paths to get to the same destination. Along the way I'm always discovering new things. The funny thing is when I return to my more familiar route, I wind up noticing new things there as well. We often take the same path so much that we focus on the destination and stop noticing what is along the path. It reminds me of the old saying, "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses."
I guess I have two messages here...No matter what your age don't be afraid to allow change into your life. Sameness can be boring and lead to complacency. As you travel along your personal path in life don't get so caught up in the destination that you forget to notice the sites along the way. You just never know when one of those sites might lead you to a new destination.
Happy Holidays!
