Growth can be hard. Change can be hard. But where there is growth and change, there are very important lessons that make us better. They make us stronger. They make us who we are supposed to be.

I personally don’t like change. It freaks me out. However, I’ve learned that you can fight it like an octopus in a blanket and come out tired and weary, or you can allow things to flow and put you on the path of where you’re supposed to be. It will always be to the betterment of yourself, whether you believe it at the time or not.

Some people around you won’t deal with change very well either, even though it’s not theirs to deal with. That’s because whether they know it or not, it freaks them out too. They will want to talk about it (possibly not with you), and that’s ok. They are just trying to unpack it as much as they can for themselves. It’s your lesson to deal with. It’s your life and your feelings and sometimes you have to drown out the clutter around you. You’re only human and so are they. None of us know what the fuck we are doing so when you can, lean into kindness. For them and for yourself.

If you find yourself hitting one of these learning curves in life, I ask you to sit with it. Ask yourself how you’re feeling and why. Are you angry? Are you sad? Are you wondering why it’s happening to you? Now I want you to pull out the silver linings and the lessons. It’s hard. And you’re definitely telling me to fuck myself right now, but maybe it’s teaching you something. Maybe it’s teaching you forgiveness, or to not depend on others. Life could be telling you to put yourself first or telling you that you have outgrown the people you’re surrounding yourself with. Sit with it. The lesson is always there if you look hard enough.

With growth and change comes healing. This last couple of years have been so hard for all of us. Have you taken your own feelings into account lately? Have you given yourself a pat on the back for everything you’ve been through? You should. You should celebrate the changes you’ve overcome. However big or small they are. You should yell from the rooftops about how proud you are of your growth. You should be proud of all of your changes. Each change is one step closer to being authentically you. Your greatest self. Your truest version of who you are meant to be. Isn’t that great? That with terrible times that you can’t possibly see how you’re going to get through, you do and are even better for it in the end. I think that’s so amazing and special. Be proud of it. You should be.

Change and growth are what is going to set you apart from the people standing next to you. Your heart. Your lessons. Your kindness for other people in the world. Your understanding nature about their own change and growth. Your ability to help friends and family get through because you too have been there. The ability to have an open heart because you have felt the same struggles and so you choose to give the gift of a listening ear and an open heart. Not because you have to, but because you want that other person to know they aren’t alone. And that change sucks for us all.

When change happens to you, please remember that you aren’t alone. Everyone goes through it. No one welcomes it with open arms, but we all learn a lesson from it. And when that doesn’t help, please remember, you’re doing great.

xo S