Embrace change!

If you are anything like me, you have probably had a situation where 3 hours after a conversation you finally come up with a retort to someone’s unnecessary and unwanted remark about your life.

Recently I have been thinking about a certain sentence that has been thrown at me several times for the past 5 years or so: “You’ve changed”. Now let me be clear, sometimes this statement is meant in the loveliest way like my aunty did a few weeks ago when she meant I had grown up so much. But most of the time, it is said in such a way that the word “change” has a negative connotation. One thing I have realised throughout the recent years is that change does not have to be bad. Change is a necessary step for growth, be it personal or professional.

Six years ago I was a child turning 18. I had not experienced being my own person with my own set of values yet. I have since lived in 3 different countries, met a lot of people and had good and bad experiences that have shaped who I am today. And some people in circle might not like who I have become or maybe they feel threatened by this change.

One simple example I can give to you is I went to the Casela National Park in Mauritius a few years back to pet lions. To 15 year old me this seemed like the coolest thing and I am not going to lie, it was thrilling! But now looking back on it, I had no sense of what this entailed for the animal. It did not cross my mind that they are probably drugged and mistreated and that I should not participate in promoting such activities. I never do this today.

A slightly more impactful change that happened to me was 2 years ago when I had my hip replacement surgery. I remember being torn with the pros and cons of this surgery but really I was just scared of the change. This surgery changed my life, not only physically but also mentally. I am now able to do so much more than I use to and gained so much more confidence in myself and my abilities. I have started to embraced my disability instead of shutting it down and it is true I still have a long way to go on that front but I am excited to do so.

I also decided to write this blog because I met one of my best friends this year who is on the same Erasmus as me. She has been living in a different country and out of home for the first time in her life. Before going back home for the summer she was convinced that people would point out that France has changed her, that she is different from before she left. And they would not be wrong, it is true! She has changed, but definitely for the better! She has opened her eyes to different cultures and races. She is not afraid to be outspoken about issues she feels passionate about be it on social media or during a conversation. All in all she is growing her set of believes and that does involve changing.

I know there is a lot of people, specially young adults, who are in the same situation as us and what I am trying to say is be proud of changing, of evolving. You might have said or done something 5 years ago that you would categorically not do today because it goes against what you believe in. It is completely fine that you did it 5 years ago and it is also completely fine not to do it today. Change is scary but it is also extremely powerful. It allows you to explore your limits, it makes you more flexible and most of all it allows you to have more fun as you can explore the world outside of your comfort zone.

So next time someone says: “You’ve changed”, just reply with a smile “I’d hope so”