It seems that change is the one constant in our lives. Jobs, homes, cars, clothes, appearance and possessions all change. Health, hope and happiness. Philosophy, politics and beliefs. Morals, ethics and values. Even friends, families, spouses and/or lovers change. The world keeps changing, and so do we. Life is full of transitions and as we age, our lives and roles change, too. Before we know it, we’ve moved from youth to middle age to our “golden years.” There are so many things in life that change and not always what we want or the way we want.
With these transitions, we are called upon to adapt, change, grow. It can be demanding, complicating, confusing, frustrating. We rely on our basic coping strategies. We use our wisdom, tolerance, flexibility and adaptability. We look to our friends and family for support and advice. We use our sense of humor and irony. Sports, recreation, hobbies, travel, fun, etc. offer stress relief.
Clearly, change and transition don’t always have to be bad things. In fact, change can frequently be wiser than we are. Oftentimes the world we want to construct is really quite a small one. Change can break that way open and reveal possibilities we never could have thought of ourselves. Indeed, change is an ally, not an enemy.
The stress comes when we try to hold on too tightly. At that point, people typically fall into two camps: Pessimists — who take things personally, think problems are pervasive, and believe their situation is permanent; and Optimists who see change as a challenge. They believe they have choices and can control the outcome of their lives, yet they don’t waste time or spin their wheels trying to control the uncontrollable… Change is a challenge and not a threat.
In the end, it doesn’t mean that everything will go our way or that every transition and change will be painless or positive.
But, it does mean we should ask ourselves – how will we approach change? Will we be an Optimist or a Pessimist?
Author Unknown – if anyone knows who write this please let me know – thanks!
