I have always held that the most challenging times of our lives come when we face redefining ourselves.
Like when we go from being a high schooler to being a college student.
From being a college student to being employed.
Or employed by someone else to employed by ourselves.
Or from being single to being married. Or being married to being divorced. Or widowed.
From being a kid’s mom or dad, to being an adult’s mom or dad.
From being healthy to being sick. From being sick to being healthy again.
These are the moments that vex us, because we’re required to think about who we are and who we want to be.
And it always comes just at the moment where we’ve gotten so damn comfortable with who we were.
I know you know what I’m talking about.
Often, where people get stuck is in letting go of the old, comfortable definition and making room for the new way of thinking about themselves.
It’s kinda like a special sort of roller coaster – the kind where you only ride once. Ever gotten off a roller coaster and said, “Well, that was fun,” never intending to ride it again? That’s like life.
You can’t go back and ride high school again.
Or college.
Or your 20s. 30s. 40s. 50s. 100s.
You get one ride. And it has plenty of twists and turns. And before you know it, you’re not where you started.
You’re somewhere new.
Allow yourself to grow, and change, and redefine. Welcome change in all its magnificent uncertainty.
If you let it, it’ll be one hell of a ride.
Wonderful post! I’ve always known that I get very anxious when my life is changing in one way or another but hadn’t considered that this anxiety might come from being forced to think about who I am and who I want to be. I guess being clear about these things, considering them in a calm manner and living authentically can help you mitigate the anxiety.