Change
Change is inevitable.
Growth is optional.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said:
There is nothing permanent except change.
Every human being faces changes every single day. Weather changes, health changes, our family change, friends change, and we change. No matter how much we would like to stand still, this is not possible. We will change whether we like it or not. It’s almost a rule, and each of us deals with it differently.
The only important thing then is how we react to the change. We can accept it peacefully, or we can fight against it. It will happen upon us, anyway. In the end, we grow through change, but only if we choose to.
We Change Every 7 Years
I once heard that it has been scientifically proven that our bodies and minds change every 7 years. Those changes in us are so small that we don’t even notice. But at the end of the seven-year period, we can say that we are completely new humans.
We change and grow spiritually, mentally, and physically. We tend to make lots of choices, start new habits (good or bad), meet new people, make mistakes and revelations. Our life is a series of patterns, and if we want to break free from bad ones, and add good ones, we need to work on them.
10 + 1 Changes We Can Expect as Time Goes By
- Our identity will change
- Our dreams, goals, and plans will change
- Our life’s big questions will change
- Our relationships will change
- Our emotional state will change
- Our spirituality will change
- Our health will change
- Our physical appearance will change
- Our interests will change
- Levels of our happiness will change
- We will change
My Change During the First 4 Cycles
0 - 7 years
The beginning of life, the most important stage. At this time frame, we are craving love, protection, and support. Learning is one of the key activities of this period. We learn how to walk, how to speak, how to think. We are learning what is pain, what is pleasure, what is good, what is bad. The Greek philosopher Aristotle said:
Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.
Honestly, I didn’t care much in this first stage, so I can’t say anything important. Just an interesting fact:
Our brain develops rapidly, and we learn the most during our first years of life. Data from Harvard University shows that before we turn 3, we’re already forming one million neural connections every minute, thus we learn the fastest and most. The quality of our experiences – positive or negative – in the first few critical years of our lives helps shape how our brain will develop and what kind of people we will become.
7 - 14 years
I would say this was a time of confusion for me as I just started to understand some things, but still didn’t know which direction in life to take. I went to school, learned new things, tried new sports and activities, but nothing major happened during that time frame. At least I don’t think so.
14 - 21 years
A time of rebellion against established standards, rules, and society. At this age, I started to ask some important questions about how I want to live my life. Consequently, I started reading more, learning more, and knowing more about myself and my desires. I rejected everything our society teaches us and decided that I will follow my own path. At around 21, I decided I wanted to have my own business and change the lives of many people with it.
21 - 28 years
Here I am currently, just finishing with the cycle. A few months ago, I turned 28. A lot has happened in the last 7 years of my life. I finished college, started my first business, failed my first business, found a good job, quit that good job, got married, bought my first house and started a new business. Whoa. What an amazing ride.
But, the most important change in the last 7 years has been that I started to live my life more authentically. I became serious about my goals, plans, and future. No one will give me anything, and I need to work hard on myself and my goals to make them happen.
I grow through change and I am curious what the next 7 years of my life will bring me, however; I am certain I will accept it as it is. In the end, I will be the one who made it that way.
Food for Thought
Go back in time and check how your life has changed every 7 years.
Pause and reflect on what was good, and what was not. Then draw conclusions and adopt only the best practices. Eliminate everything else. If you have bad eating habits, try to change them. If you have a controlling or disrespectful partner, learn to say no and leave them. If you’re not fulfilled by your job, quit. The sooner you identify and correct mistakes from every cycle, the better your life will be in the next one.
Final Words
Changes are a normal part of our lives. We have a choice to adjust easily to them or to resent them. They will happen anyway. Therefore, practice living a life with an attitude of gratitude and embrace change as an opportunity for continuous renewal and growth.
The only thing in the world you can change is yourself,
and that makes all the difference in the world.
The sooner you accept that, the better your life will be. Begin the process of changing yourself – gradually kill the old you and become a new you. After that, your life will never be the same.
Finally, I would like to share a post that inspired me to write this one. It was written by Leo Babauta, author of Zen Habits and mnmlist.com, and in a few wonderful words convey an important message.
You can’t change your entire life.
You can only change your next action.
—
You can’t change a relationship with a loved one.
You can only change your next interaction.
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You can’t change your entire job.
You can only change your next task.
—
You can’t change your body composition.
You can only change your next meal.
—
You can’t change your fitness level.
You can only start moving.
—
You can’t declutter your entire life.
You can only choose to get rid of one thing, right now.
—
You can’t eliminate your entire debt.
You can only make one payment, or buy one less unnecessary item.
—
You can’t change the past, or control the future.
You can only change what you’re doing right now.
—
You can’t change everything.
You can only change one, small thing.
And that’s all it takes.
Cheers!
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