“Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.” ~ Somerset Maugham
Many people have a difficult time adjusting to change. Generally this is due to some level of anxiety as to what the new situation will entail, and how they will manage with it. We get comfortable with the familiar. It seems easier to deal with the known.
In fact, it is this very comfort with the known, and fear of the unknown that keeps people in situations that may not be good for them. A person may be unhappy with a job, geographical location or a relationship. They may complain endlessly about all they dislike about their situation, yet do nothing to change it.
Fear of change may also prevent people from taking advantage of opportunities, or taking risks that could take them to a whole new level of experience. In this case there may be a fear of failure. Once again, fear of change leaves on locked into the old way.
This is an unfortunate way we limit ourselves, because change is precisely how we grow and learn. Think of an infant or young child They are constantly exploring their environment. In fact, it is often the new or novel that attracts their attention. They may have their favorite toys, but put something new in front of them and they go straight for it. This is why you can spend a fortune on educational toys, but the cupboard with the pots and pans is far more interesting to them. You have to put safety locks on cupboard doors, because little ones have an infinite curiosity about the unknown. The more they explore and experience, the more they learn, and, I believe, the smarter they become. New experiences create new pathways in the brain.
The advantages of change and new experiences do not disappear when we become adults. Learning and growing can be a lifelong process if we choose it. Seniors who take classes, meet new people, learn to use a computer, and get out in the world stay more vibrant and alert than those who stay at home repeating the same daily routine over and over.
And what of the fear of failure? Well, that is also how we learn. The child learning to walk at first takes more falls than steps, but keeps getting up to try again. The one learning to read says the wrong word, and soon realizes that the sentence does not make sense. So they go back and try the word again.
I never use the word failure. For me, there is no failure, only experience. If things do not work out, then there is undoubtedly some valuable learning. This is not our cue to give up, but rather to take that learning into our next attempt.
Embrace change, for it is that which moves you forward, and allows you to learn more about, and further develop your capabilities and resilience.
Copyright © Gwen Randall-Young, All Rights Reserved. Contact us if you would like permission to reprint.
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