Never Fear Change

Never fear change: Anything is possible if you just believe in yourself

There is great comfort in the known, yet the deepest growth comes from facing the unknown. We are wired to seek comfort and solitude in the familiar, and yet on the other hand we crave excitement and adventure. So how can we balance between the two? 

This has been my whole life, managing the balance. I am driven by adventure and change and yet at the core of who I am,  I am sated by my home and my family; these are the most valuable, cherished things that I hold dear to my heart. You have to find your root comfort, the comfort that sates your core, and hold onto that. Let everything else go! Allow change to enter your life, do not fear the unknown, because it too will become the known in time. 

We often hold onto unhealthy habits and routines because it is easier to feel uncomfortable in the familial than the unknown. We doubt ourselves and our ability to cope. However, we are strong and resilient and if we put our minds to it we can achieve anything. 

My journey started just shy of my 38th birthday when my daughter came to me and spoke words that made me stop in my tracks and re-evaluate my life. As you can see, I was selling my soul to the corporate world (work and no play). I was denying myself the joy of my family and they were being robbed of my presence. I was in a state of perpetual stress and dismay. I would exhaust all of my resources (mentally, emotionally, and physically) managing my work day that I was left with nothing to give at home. My family was suffering. 

I sat quietly one day and thought – this cannot be it in my life? Will this be my life for the next 40 years? I had to change something! I was terrified. This career path was the only career I had ever known, it was the one thing I was good at. It was FAMILIAR. I took a deep breath and I let it go – my career that is. I turned my back on it and I swore I would not live the next 40 years like this. I had no idea what I was going to do. I just knew I wasn’t going to sell my soul for money. 

A couple of months later, a friend suggested I come to university with him. I laughed at the thought – me, I’m 38 years old, that is ridiculous. Then I got to thinking. If I truly wanted to change my career/life path, this could be the answer. I had always wanted to study psychology; the human mind and human behaviour has always fascinated me. So I applied, paid my fee and waited for a response. I was accepted and the rest is history. Let me tell you – it wasn’t easy. It took me five years to complete my degree. I learned along the way that I am a perfectionist that places way too much pressure on myself to be the best, which caused me many sleepless nights, but I forged on, and it was all worth it. 

Now came the next challenge. What was I going to do now? I didn’t know how to be anything but a student, or so I thought. I was terrified of the new chapter in my life. Would I go on to study more, would I find a job? I did not know what was next. It was in this moment that the water found its own level. Nelle reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to work for her. I couldn’t have been happier to get my dream job with a woman I admire. Three months later, here I am. I have found my place in the world. This is where I am meant to be.

So, when things scare you or you don’t believe in yourself, sit in the discomfort and see where it takes you. You never know, it may lead you to exactly where you are supposed to be.