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Accepting Change

As we start a new year, it is common to make expectations for what the year ahead will look like. Maybe you will have reached a big milestone or maybe you want to accomplish something specific. As I sat down to think about what I wanted from this year, I realized that one of the most important things I learned from last year and will take into the future is that change is a constant. My best friends changed, my life goals changed, the way the world functions has changed, and I will also change. It is inevitable and a stable thing to expect.

As we start the year, it may feel very similar to last year in many aspects, but I also have confidence that throughout the span of the year, many things will change - both for good and for not so good. This is normal and the feelings you have surrounding these changes are valid. I have never been good at accepting change, but the first step for me is acknowledging the fact that change will happen and may take me to even better places than I have ever been. Relationships change and grow as each person grows. Our mindsets change as we learn more. Our environment changes as things come and go. And that is ok.

Here are some tips for accepting change:

  1. Acknowledge that you don’t know what this change will mean for the future. It is ok to be unsure. The situation will play out as it does and you can only control yourself and your reactions to the change.
  2. Take one step at a time. Experiment with what this change means for you in the moment and know that it might differ later on. 
  3. Practice gratitude for the things that are going well in your life. While you brush your teeth or while Netflix loads, take the time to think of one thing that you are grateful for right then. 

Happy New Year and here is to 2021!