The Pros & Cons of Change

Change is one of those things that can give people a major thrill or major anxiety. And, from personal experience, change is what makes the new seasons of life so difficult. It was my biggest fear going into college and the biggest hurdle I had to overcome my first few months there. But, after stepping back and having some time to reflect on that season, I realize all that change had some major upsides to it. Here are my thoughts about the pros and cons of change:

Pros:

1. New stage of life, new adventures, new opportunities

I think this aspect of change is what excites a lot of people--the newness. A chance to start fresh. Sometimes, we are so excited for all things new, we don't even recognize a change. We blast full speed into our new job, our new school, trying to familiarize ourselves and coaxing the "new" into a routine. Excitement is in full force; there are no thoughts of "I miss this or that." A sense of eager anticipation is upon us, almost like a child on Christmas Eve. I think major optimists tend to embrace change the most for this reason. 

2. Change can lead to inspiration

This is why writers/creatives often relocate or switch up their routines. When in a rut, a change is one of the biggest things that can lead to new ideas. On a non-creative level, my life change of moving to college inspired me to see the world differently (ha how cliche)--I saw that my life had so much more potential than just studying the same subjects and living with my same routines. It lead to bold ideas and confidence in myself.

3. Change forces you out of your comfort zone

Being pushed out of your comfort zone is so good for you!! I think that life would be absolutely boring if we were never pushed to do things that made us uncomfortable. When I joined a sorority where I knew no one, I was forced to branch out and make new friends, even though I felt incredibly timid and awkward. With change, there is no GPS; we have to pave the way to "normal" ourselves.

4. Change leads to more openness to new changes

Start small. Once we become comfortable with little changes, we are more willing to jump into bigger transitions. 

Cons:

1. Change causes loneliness

Oh boy. This one is the hardest for me to write about, only because it still brings back some of those lonely nights from first semester. Leaving everything you know and jumping into a brand new setting doesn't always leave us wanting to run straight into a new social scene. We want our "people"; those who know us best. We want to have a movie night with our 5 BFFS, not by ourselves and a pint of ice cream. Keep in mind, though, that everyone has experienced a social change at some point.

2. Change leads to fear

When we leave a situation or a relationship we're comfortable with for a setting with several unknowns, it leads to a bunch of questions. Will it ever feel like it used to? Will I ever feel at home? What if I never make any friends? Continuing from the previous point, our fear is often multiplied from our loneliness. When we don't have familiar companionship or anything familiar, we listen more to the voices inside our heads.

3. Sometimes, change is caused by an unfortunate circumstance, i.e. the death of a family member or a lost job

Sometimes, change happens that is completely out of your hands. A relative passes away, your company has to make budget cuts, or you can no longer afford that school you love. With these kinds of changes, we should accept that they happened, but not dwell on the negative outcomes. After processing, try to find some kind of positive spin-off.

*Loss of any person close to you is no simple matter. I am in no way trying to convey this as a light issue. 

4. Change causes us to reflect on everything "good" that we miss

Cate and I were talking recently about our living situations this summer. She's staying at a house near school for these three months, and I'm staying at "home." But then we started to question where home really was...I'm at "home" but all of my belongings are in boxes and I have to leave after two months, and she leaves her "home" in Columbia to go "home" to see her family for a week. I also missed my routine of home--waking up in my bed, making coffee, having the whole kitchen to myself. I missed everything "good" because it was comfortable; it was what I knew. 

All this to say, change is part of life. Change is inevitable, whether it be something small like a change in your Sonic order or something huge like a cross-country move. We can choose to embrace the unfamiliar and pray for the peace and courage to cope with it, or we can hide from it in fear and allow it to consume our lives.

How will you react when faced with change?