Today, I want to take you on a journey back in time, to a moment in my life that I was once reluctant to embrace. A moment, that looking back now, I find myself wondering why I ever resisted it at all.
 
Change. A word that can invoke a myriad of emotions – excitement, fear, uncertainty, hope. It’s an inevitable part of life that we all experience, yet often, it’s something many of us resist. I, too, was once resistant to change. It was something I viewed as a disruption to my comfort zone, an unwelcome guest that I wasn’t ready to invite in.
 
The change I’m referring to is – shifting from Australia to India. I had built my life around with great network of friends, culture and working options but when an unexpected opportunity came knocking from India, I hesitated. It was a leap into the unknown, a path less travelled, and I was scared.
 
But here’s the plot twist – I eventually took the plunge. I took a deep breath, embraced the uncertainty, and allowed the currents of change to take me where they wished. And you know what? It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
 
In hindsight, this change, which I once resisted so much, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It led me to new experiences, taught me valuable lessons, and helped me grow both personally and professionally. It opened doors I didn’t even know existed and introduced me to a world of possibilities that I had been blind to.
 
So, to the younger me and to anyone out there who is resisting change, remember this: Change is not always a storm that disrupts our lives. Often, it’s a wind that redirects us to a better path. It’s an essential part of life’s journey, a catalyst for growth, and a means to discover our true potential.
 
Change can be intimidating, but it’s also beautiful. It’s a testament to our resilience, our adaptability, and our ability to evolve. It’s proof that we are capable of more than we ever imagined.
 
So, embrace it. Don’t resist it. Let the winds of change guide you, and you might just find yourself somewhere incredible.
 
Remember, change is the only constant, and more often than not, it’s a change for the better. So, let’s celebrate the beauty of change and the unexpected favours it bestows upon us!

The year was 2008. I was 21 and working as a Junior Copywriter in a small advertising agency in my hometown. A freshly minted Visual Communication graduate, I yearned for something bigger and better. And it came in the form of a job opportunity in a faraway city, in a different state. I rarely stepped out of my hometown. Everything I had ever done was within a 15km distance. This change felt like a giant leap. A 400 km leap, to be exact. I was nervous and hesitant to make that choice. The comfort of home and everything ‘known’ was pulling me back from making the decision to move. But I had to, so I could better support my family. I mustered the courage and quite grudgingly moved to the new city. I was too emotional for a few days.

Now when I think about that change and how much I resisted it, I want to tell the younger me to take that chance with a smile on my face. That move was good and it set the tone for the rest of my career. Accepting that big change was a process but at the end of it, it made me strong and independent in a manner that I didn’t think possible. It gave birth to the newer and better version of me.

Have you ever resisted a change? And many years later wondered why you even resisted it?

There are so many points in our journeys when we have to embrace the toughest of changes. We have resisted so many of them. When I think of mine, I remember:

-The time I had to relocate to Mumbai, a difficult city, where I knew no one– For a journalist with low pay, thriving in a congested city, sharing space with six people in a house was not the change I wanted. But after four years, I realised how important this phase was for my professional and personal growth. When I lived on my own, I learned to take on more responsibilities, be disciplined and develop greater resilience.

-The time I had to move to digital content from journalism– I resisted this change for the longest time. Honestly, I had my mental baggage and bias and would constantly judge my work. It took me years to unlearn that it is not necessary to dedicate our lives to one kind of skill and field. I learned to shed my vanity about research, types of writing styles, books we need to read and topics. As a person from a journalistic background, focusing on business instead of just words and messages was not an easy change. But it taught me to look at the bigger picture.

-As AI takes over the content world, I am again learning to embrace the change that this digital revolution is bringing to the world of content. Again, this isn’t easy. But life has taught us repeatedly #Changeisgood , so we continue to reinvent ourselves and adjust our sails only to realise how far we have come in terms of skills, adaptability and agility.

I have never liked change. Strong words, but change has never been my friend. Right from school days, my world was nothing but change. You might think that this would have desensitized me to it and change would be something I could have handled with grace, but nope, it took years to embrace it- yet it is a process.

My family and friends have always encouraged me to showcase my capabilities of art and communication skills to the world outside. But the low self-confidence in me has made me shun away from bringing it out. I always preferred being in the comfort zone and just keep it within my small circle.

5 years back, a college senior had approached me to do a dance pose portrait of hers. With sheer joy of trying something new, I gave it a shot and to everyone’s surprise it came out brilliantly well. My senior ensured that many got to see the stunning painting and posted it on her network. The amount of positive feedback and compliments I received, gave me the confidence that I could move out of the comfort zone and bring out my work outside. Today, I have managed to showcase my work outside and this is a big change. It does make me wonder, what if I had done it earlier?

This has not been easy, and I am consistently working on it. There are days I still prefer being in the comfort zone, but I can proudly say I am working and fighting to move out. Change is never easy for any one of us and it is okay to fight to embrace it. Someday I will get there. Until then, I’m taking steps to embrace the change I cannot avoid.

Have you ever resisted a change? And many years later wondered why you even resisted it?
 
Do share this note to the younger you. Tell them that change is the only constant, and that change is good!

“You have been criticising yourself for years and it has not worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”

For years, I have allowed my mind to bully my body.

I have battled complex hormonal challenges coupled with auto-immune conditions, for the last two decades. The first decade went by, celebrating victimhood and loosing confidence. I was giving so many excuses, both to myself and people around me, and isolating myself from any form of social interactions.

Towards the fag end of that decade, something happened. Life and circumstances pushed me to get certified as an executive coach. I was prepared to drop out of the program mid-way, but, thanks to support from family, I somehow crossed the chasm. And then the next decade started with fear coupled with possibilities.

When I decided to embrace possibilities, and learnt the art of placing a larger purpose in front of me, I was able to rest my inner demons who until then had promoted my conformity to least like myself.

As I reflect today, I can more confidently embrace the younger me with compassion and determination.

If you are allowing yourself to wallow in self-pity, time has come to wake up and Change. It is Good for you.