The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said “Change is the only constant.”
Change is the only constant.
Read that again.
Change is the only constant thing in life.
Change absolutely terrifies me. If there’s one thing that I dread in life, it’s change. Ironically, the one true constant in life is what I run from the most. I like to run away and hide from change for as long as I can. It’s a big, looming, dark cloud to me.
Sometimes, the cloud grows so big that I can no longer hide from it. The winds suck me in. I get pulled out of my hiding spot. And I have to face the dreaded big, scary change. The thing about change is that sometimes it is as terrifying as I think it is. Sometimes the cloud soaks me in rain and lightning strikes around me. I feel lost and scared amid change. Sometimes I get lost in the darkness as it surrounds me.
I’ve never felt such darkness until recently. A great big change in my life brought a big, dark cloud with it. Lots of rain and lightning––and it’s been scary.
The thing about change though is that it happens for a reason. There is a reason that the change is happening. Despite the rain, lightning and darkness. You have to come out of hiding and face the cloud and elements for a reason.
Sometimes you can only see the darkness. But, if you look hard enough, you see a glint of sunlight. Sometimes you even see a glimpse of a rainbow, or trees, or birds chirping. You gain a sense of understanding of why the change is happening, and it makes sense. All of the darkness seems to make sense and even seems like it will be worth it.
And it will. It will be worth it. Life doesn’t throw things at people who can’t handle them. Change is something that is necessary in life––change is the only constant.
Life sends the big, dark clouds so that the rainbows and sunshine will feel brighter. Flowers cannot grow without rain. In the same way that we, as humans, cannot grow without change.
My dad told me that you have to change if you want to grow.
No matter how scary or dark or wrong it may feel. The change that happens in life is meant to happen. And whatever change is happening in your life right now, good or bad, is happening for a reason.
So whether you are amidst the darkness or the rain, or if you are among the sunshine and rainbows, the change is meant to be. You can handle the change. The change is going to lead you to where you are supposed to be. The change is making you grow, whether you think so or not.
After all, change is the only constant.