If there is anything that is clear about humans it is that we are habitual beings. We thrive off schedules, plans, and familiar spaces. Not only do we like to know what we will be doing next month, but we often fear things that come with any degree of uncertainty.
Each stage of life offers a completely new set of skills and feelings that can quickly become comfortable to us. These feelings of comfort and security in where you are can make the thought of change even scarier. I can attest to this because I am one of those humans.
No matter my stage of life or the experiences I've had, I can never help but feel lost when things come to an end. I am the type of person who finds immense joy in everything that I do and am apart of, so I struggle when it comes time for me to move on. I imagine that some of you have felt the same way.
For me, it all started when my family decided to move to Bermuda. I know what you're all thinking, "You're nuts! Why wouldn't you want to live in Bermuda?!" And I am sure my parents thought the same thing, but at the time sunshine and beaches weren't on my mind. I was more focused on leaving my best friends, my cozy town, and my newly painted lime green room. It may seem silly, but I loved my home and everything that I got to do there so much that I wasn't able to see all the incredibly cool opportunities that came with living on a tropical island.
And this is the cycle that has continued on throughout my life.
When high school came to an end I couldn't imagine leaving and struggled to look past my sadness and forward to a new experience that was just around the corner. I was so convinced that I would never enjoy anything as much as I had enjoyed high school...until I got to college. Quick turn around, huh?
Now, I am approaching my senior year of college and this time I am 100% sure that I will never have another experience that is more fun or eye-opening. But as I'm sure you've noticed, I have been here before!
Change is very powerful and it can symbolize a number of different things for different people. While change can be refreshing for some, change can also mark the end of a particularly great time in your life. But no matter what feelings you get when it comes to change, be sure to remember that everything will always work out.
By no means is this an easy task and by no means am I an expert at this. I myself am working on embracing change every day because in the end, I know that I will find happiness in the new stages life brings me, as I have many times before.
So even though not being sure what my life will look like in a year from now fills me with angst, I try and focus more on the things that I do know. And one thing I do know is that I am gradually gaining confidence in my own ability to adapt to uncertainty and manage my expectations about the future.
Living amidst this uncertainty is definitely uncomfortable, but I know that there will always be a few things that remain the same, no matter where life takes me. So when the future looks foggy I will try to lean onto the things that I know are consistent.
I'm sure that you have some consistencies in your life too and I would encourage you to lean on them. Life is constantly changing and we are always transitioning from one stage into the next. Adjusting to these transitions will not happen immediately, and the road may even be a bit bumpy, and in my case come with some tears, but one thing I do know is that you will always get through it and in the end come to appreciate exactly where you are without fearing the unpredictability of the future.
