The Season for Change
Summer is over and the leaves are falling. October season of change. Are you personally trying to change a bad habit, or going through a transition? Everyone talks about what to do if you want to change and what the results would be, but what about the time in between? That messy area in our lives where we aren’t where we want to be, but we aren’t where we used to be.
This time period can be frustrating for everyone- teenagers, students, adults, and even young children. Whether a child is learning how to walk, a student is graduating from post-secondary education, or a parent is going through a divorce, these transition periods can be scary because they involve venturing out in new directions.
We can be tempted to ignore or avoid these feelings by masking them with drugs, alcohol, or temporary gratification that make us feel less lost or confused. We enjoy anything that gets our mind off of what’s happening in our reality because temporary numbness somehow makes all of our worries go away. But, they don’t really work.
Once the high wears off, the hangover kicks in, or the guilt creeps in, our fear, insecurities, and worries surface. They never disappeared, they were just buried under temporary, short-term solutions. The reality is that these transitional periods are a part of life, and it is okay to feel uneasy about them. Some can be felt more intensely than others, but what is important is our attitude towards them and how we choose to respond to them. Whatever your coping mechanisms are, just remember that life is dynamic. It is always changing, and the best way
to prepare for change is to accept that change happens and is necessary for moving forward. Like the seasons, change allows for new life and new opportunities to take place.
