Embracing Change

Humans tend to have a complicated relationship with the concept of change. Although change is inevitable in our lives, we struggle with it. Most of us consider change uncomfortable and unsettling, even though changes are often, in the end, for the best. If we are agile and adaptable, we can use change as a catalyst to harness and deepen our personal growth.

Change is not a new concept. In the Christian belief, the concept of change can be found in the Book of Ecclesiastes:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

Since there is a time for every event under heaven, there is a time, probably many times in your life, for you to let go of the way things have been and embrace change. Although there is a certain amount of comfort in staying in your current life situation, real change and growth comes with risking the loss of this comfort and seeking something different. To grow, you must discard your old self; we should do this many times in our lives.

One of my favorite quotes from a famous singer and songwriter adequately sums up my philosophy of self-transformation and change:

"We must be careful not to think we have arrived, for we are always in the state of becoming." - Bob Dylan

Dylan's quote implies that there is no destination in life we are trying to get to. Instead, we are constantly evolving. We, as humans, should be continually learning and growing. We should embrace the changes in our lives and not avoid them. It will come for us anyway, even if we try to prevent change. According to Buddhist teachings and philosophy, everything in our lives constantly changes whether we approve of it or not. We live in a world of impermanence. This concept tells us that everything in our lives is continually evolving. Everything continuously changes, including our thoughts, feelings, bodies, other people, life situations, and circumstances.

Impermanence is the cornerstone of Buddhist teachings and practice. As a practicing Buddhist, I believe that nothing lasts forever, so nothing in life should be grasped or held onto. Yet we always try to capture things in life to hold onto them. We cannot escape inevitable life changes; nothing is more significant than sticking with this change with constant diligence and grace.

We attempt to hang onto the way things are and avoid changes in our lives because we fear not knowing what will happen next. We stay in that unfulfilling career or unsatisfying relationship because we fear change. Instead, we need to accept life as it unfolds for whatever it is. When we fail to watch life unfold, we experience dukkha, the Pali word for suffering. Trying to prevent or avoid change creates a lot of unnecessary suffering for us.

One way to adapt to all this life change is to learn from every situation you experience, whether you want it to happen or not. Know that everyone you encounter is your teacher and has something to teach you. Focus on the good in your situation but don't resign to staying there forever. Keep trying to achieve your goals, but also remain flexible in your approach to life, knowing that any change, good or bad, can happen anytime. Our resistance to this change can only cause us tremendous suffering. Change is not going anywhere, so we should embrace it, be creative, and find a way to use it to our advantage.

Whether or not we identify as a Buddhist, Christian, or something else entirely, we should embrace all of life's changes and trust that life will take us where we need to be.

"The Only Constant in Life Is Change."- Heraclitus