The Only Constant is Change

It takes courage to accept change.

I don’t particularly like change. I prefer comfort and predictability. But I also know that change is one thing that is constant in life. When we were in Taiwan, we learned from the amazing Buddhist monks with whom we stayed, that Life is Change. There is not one minute of any day that looks exactly like any one before it.

One meaningful act of courage comes when we accept change. When we want our lives to stay the same, but we accept it will change, that is courage. My son is preparing for high school in September. While part of me wants to keep him in elementary school, a bigger part is excited for this change in his life and ours.

In many industries, change is an annoying reality. For me, as a high school principal, change is the norm. Students come, and grow, and leave. Teachers change. Other personnel change. Curriculum changes. A new challenge presents itself.

As a parent lots of changes are coming. My kids are growing up. And while I am looking forward to watching them grow and become the adults they will be, it’s a change. Am I happy for them? Absolutely! And I worried for them? You bet! Do I know this change is good and necessary? Heck ya! Am I looking forward to the changes that will come? Not at all. But I will find the courage to accept the change and I know things will turn out exactly how they are supposed to.

Life changes constantly. One moment to the next we are living in change. Relationships change. Jobs change. We start new businesses or take on new roles. Friends go on new adventures and the dynamics of those friendships inevitably change. What we believed would always be, will not always be, at least not in the same form.

Without change there is no life. We are entering a new season. Winter brings changes to routines and activities. It requires changes in what we wear, how we travel and even how we eat and spend our leisure time. And without winter, we can not experience the joy of life that comes in spring.

Our health changes and we must adjust. Our priorities change as we age and our families grow.

I am convinced that every sad song ever written is actually about change. Loss and grief and disappointment are the result of change. We need to have the courage to not avoid change, but to walk boldly through it, knowing that on the other side, when we accept change, we will be right where we need to be.

What changes are you experiencing or preparing for? Can you accept the change? How can you dig into your courage to know everything will turn out exactly as it should?