Normality. Comfort. Reassurance. These are the things I have craved since I could form my own thoughts. The first time I ever lost a tooth I lost it. My 6-year-old life was in utter shambles over the fact that my smile was no longer ‘normal’. It ended up being a reoccurring theme that set me off throughout middle and high school and had me in tears in time of growth. When I got super sick with the flu I would simply make matter’s worse by obsessing over the fact that I couldn’t carry on with my original schedule.

I got to a place my senior year that was extremely gripping. I realized the changes that were about to take place in my life and it threw me off track. I would get anxious over feeling anxious, over not feeling as balanced and in control over everything going on in my life.

That’s the thing, you cannot have constant control over the events that take place over the course of life.

As a person, I spent so much time before college and even during my first semester at university wanting to control everything I could. From my grades to my relationships, I had to have everything organized and going the way I wanted them to. However, that simply isn’t possible. Trying to constantly muster up the strength to manipulate all the things in life to go your is exhausting and it doesn’t pay off in the end because there is a purpose behind the experiences you have in your life.

Being ‘normal’ 100% of the time makes no logical sense. Get your mind to wrap around the fact that you are able to form a new ‘normal’ that makes you feel relaxed and suits your needs as time passes life changes. Being able to adapt to change in life and grow with it is a strength I have acquired and hope to show others who are struggling with resistance to change how to do the same.

Change is a common fear to many individuals, simply because it’s straying away from our regular, normal routine. We don’t want to take different roads to work, we certainly don’t want anything to interrupt our planned-out schedules for the day, and surely don’t want to stay home from work or cancel plans due to being sick. Although, as much as we don’t want to admit it, these things that take us out of our comfort zone are necessary.

Clinging on to what makes us comfortable in life promotes little to no growth. It makes life, if you will, easier. But easier really isn’t always better. Look forward to the obstacles life will throw at you and the experiences you’ll get to endure that will aid you in becoming a stronger you.

The concept has been a verbal tale circulating around humanity for as long as I can remember – "What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger." Change is intimidating and sometimes it may feel like you won’t ever get on the other side but every single time you will, and every single time you will advance to better places and a stronger mindset.