Inevitable Changes and Harvesting Positivity

Change is inevitable and everyone has their unique way of adjusting to it.

We go through changes at different points in our lives. It could mean starting a new job, moving out of your parents’ house for the first time, evolving into a more responsible person, or even transitioning from one hairstyle to the next.

A few days ago, I had a conversation with a friend whom I hold very dear to my heart. I complimented her about her hair because it looked different. She had locs before this hairstyle. I asked her what she did with her locs because it would be hard to conceal them underneath the hairstyle she wore. She told me she unraveled them because it was time for her to have a fresh start. Undoing her locs was her way of “harvesting positivity.”

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

Socrates

The conversation my friend and I shared made me realize that we should never aim to remain stagnant nor stay in one particular situation forever. As human beings, we need to evolve, explore, and enjoy the different experiences that life has to offer. We must allow ourselves to grow and accept changes as they come. Just like my friend was preparing for change, we should also prepare and accept it enthusiastically. We must be intentional as we experience the different seasons that life has to offer.

Change is good but because we are accustomed to what is/was, it often appears scary. We pray for things to change, but when it comes time for these prayers to be answered, we hold ourselves back because we don’t know what to expect on the other side. We try to find reasons to stay in the situation we have been praying constantly to get out of. This is because in this particular situation we already know what to expect and that for us is much better than jumping into the unknown.

The key to moving smoothly from one stage to the next in life is to have faith in ourselves and what God has in store for us. This means moving from one stage to the next joyfully. It means ignoring doubts and taking one step at a time until a million are made. True, sometimes we will feel as though we have no idea what we are doing. The goal, however, is to continue going and learning as we go along. Eventually, you will realize taking that first step towards change wasn’t so bad after all.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrew 11:11

We are all about remaining enthusiastic, but we must also understand that some changes might come with stress, even those we prayed for. Stress is one of the body’s most natural ways of reacting to change. Getting the job you prayed for could mean more responsibilities; moving out of your parent’s house means you will now have to pay bills, so you might need to do more hours at work, etc. The key is to realize life was never meant to be easy. Life is about encountering unknowns and learning how to tackle them as they come. Plus, an easy life would be boring, right?

As changes come, let’s look at them as fresh starts or new seasons – let’s look at them as another chance to start a new chapter in our lives. Like my dear friend, let’s find ways to harvest positivity. This doesn’t mean you should cut your hair or decide to remove your locs. It simply means finding your unique way of adjusting and preparing for changes. Have fun as they come, find your own way of coping, be happy and enjoy life.