Change is... something.

I’ve never been very good with change.  I get that change is inevitable; these Trader Joe's tulips from our Vow WOW Magazine launch are a great reminder of the change that warm weather and sunny days of spring will bring.  But I’m a planner – some might say an over-planner, and changes outside of my control don’t always fit into the plans I’ve made.  Forced changes can feel scary and bring uncertainty and risk.

When you think about the major changes you’ve made in your own life and what empowered you to take that leap forward, it seems like there is a completely opposite reaction when the change is forced on you.  Maybe it’s the feeling of enslavement as a change is thrust upon you. 

When my first marriage ended, a friend told me how lucky I was, that growth can only happen when something changes.  In the moment, I wasn’t thankful for that change; I was full of sorrow and mourned the failed relationship.  But in hindsight he was right; during that time, I figured out who I was, who I wanted to be, and what I wanted my life to look like.   

My department at work has been in the midst of changes for approximately fifty years*, and I’m finally turning the corner and have started embracing the change.  If I list my top ten favorite things about my job, there’s a good chance none of them will be true in six months, but in the meantime, I get to enjoy those things every single day and (hopefully) figure out the top ten things at the end of the change. 

*slight exaggeration