Change has always been part of our lives as humans. From the inevitable changes that we cannot escape from, such as saying goodbye to childhood, entering a school or becoming an independent adult, through the unexpected changes that appear on our way, such as change of a job, working with new team member or ending a relationship, to the planned changes like moving to a new place, becoming a parent or getting a promotion – we are all surrounded by both anticipated and unforeseen changes. Change can result in great discomfort and even misery. It can also be confusing and stressful. And this is normal. When a person is dealing with change he or she inevitably goes through a personal transition which Bridges (2004) defines as a difficult process of letting go of an old situation, of suffering the confusing nowhere of in-betweenness, and of launching forth again in a new situation (p. 4). So how can we face a change while we are in a personal transition? The two opposing sides of the spectrum of reacting to change are embracing it and resisting it.
The more natural response to change is resistance. A number of conditions explain this phenomenon. O’Toole (1995) provides a detailed list of the root causes of resistance to change, which includes fear of the unknown; lack of self-confidence to face the new situation; satisfaction with the status quo; shock of the future; lack of knowledge about what is coming up; and short-term thinking to name a few (p. 161-163). Resistance to change could be viewed as a healthy human instinct. However if we let it to overwhelm us it becomes a huge roadblock to self-development. It prevents us from living a healthy and fulfilling life by forcing us to be stuck with the past. It distorts our self-awareness and self-confidence, and thus shuts our mind to explore new opportunities.
On the other hand, embracing a change is a powerful mindset that supports us to reflect on the new situation we are facing, discover the new opportunities that present on our way and move forward in the future with confidence that we have made the most out of the change. When we are embracing new beginnings, we are comfortable with letting go of the past and be curious about the future. And when we do that we suddenly discover how a change could bring value in our lives, how it could support our personal development plans, and how we can grow as individuals and professionals by experiencing it. We realize that change is not a dreadful ending, but an intriguing new beginning. We become again our best-selfs and we delve into the myriad possibilities that we start discovering around us.
Embracing = Awareness + Discovering opportunities + Self-development
Resisting = Unawareness + Missing opportunities + Being stuck
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