Why We Are All Afraid Of Change - Overcoming Fear & Resistance

Everything on the surface of life changes.

Everything you can perceive and sense changes in some way, at some point.

This may sound dismal, but it is not.

Change is not something to be afraid of.

It is something that provides excitement, progression, and a sense of life.

What's ironic about change is how much we appear to hate and resist it, despite how inevitably rooted and essential it is to life.

We are all afraid of the uncertainty that comes with change.

We are all afraid of leaving this moment and stepping into the next.

Even if this moment is not so great, it is often still better than the idea of what can change in the next.

We would rather things not be so great, than go through the risk and process of change.

But regardless of our fear and resistance to change, it is inevitable.

We must overcome our fear of it and embrace it in our lives so that we can experience its opportunity, progression, and excitement.

Like overcoming any type of fear, one must face change and understand it in order to come to terms with it.

What's interesting about change is how we only really care to notice it when it is sudden, unforeseen, and dramatic.

Rather, when it is gradual, we barely notice or care about it.

We assimilate it into life and enjoy the sense of forward motion that it brings to us.

But what we must understand is that sometimes change occurs underneath the surface, and we don't see the gradual progression.

But this change is no different.

It is not something to be more fearful or resistant to.

The only difference is how we perceive and experience the suddenness of it.

Consider a friend or a co-worker that yo see every couple of days.

Let's imagine they are growing their hair out from a very short length to a very long length.

You see them multiple times every week so you do not notice their hair grow because the amount each week is exceptionally minute and unnoticeable to the naked eye.

You don't care about or react to this change and you easily accept the longer hair.

Now imagine an old friend or family member whom you don't see too often.

This person is also growing their hair out from a short length to a long length.

The last time you saw this person, their hair was very short.

Now after a long period of time, you are seeing them and their hair is significantly longer.

When you see them, the new change is jarring and you likely have a difficult time accepting it right away.

Life changes and grows like hair; millimeter-by-millimeter.

But when we only see the change in centimeter or meters, it shocks us and we resist it.

We accuse people, systems, and ideas of being fake, disingenuous, or impractical.

Although there are cases where this may be true, it is important that we do not jump to such conclusions as a result of our fear of change.

We must understand that change is always happening and just because it appears sudden to us, does not make it negative.

Life is in constant flux, and by resisting change, we are resisting life.

We must stop and consider change's essence to life and not let fear get in the way of embracing and enjoying it.