Change Is Good, Eventually!

Change is good, but sometimes it can just be a bitch. Even though it's a constant in life, most people try and resist change, like a survival instinct for protection. Like any animal, we all experience fear when we face a change. Whether it's moving to a new home, transitioning to a new career or just adjusting our behavior in some new way, change can be really intimidating.

Ironically, most of the time it's pain that motivates us to make the change in the first place. Sometimes people can make changes from positive feelings, but usually, it's our feeling uncomfortable that inspires new action. There's not a whole lot of growth that happens in my comfort zone. Got to go outside to get the really good stuff!

The good news is that, although it takes time to acclimate to change and get through the initial fear of it, it's so worth the temporary discomfort when we get to the other side.

This past year was one of the best of my life. I took time to enjoy myself and really have some fun. I had some real epiphanies, and I experienced some real miracles. There were a lot of successes, and at the same time, I went through a bunch of changes. Some were from new scenery after a move, and some were just from the inside job of self-growth. The common denominator in all the changes? They all triggered fear. I'd like to tell you that, as a super highly enlightened soul, I handled all of these changes with impressive maturity and grace, but nah, it was messy!

Some of these really necessary steps in my evolution were important lessons about being a better person. Some were just a few needed adjustments to some hindering character defects. But they all motivated me to improve. Yeah, it was humbling to see that, even though I'm the best Rob I've ever been, there's always more to learn. Like that Bleachers tune says, I want to get better!

When we're going through a change, people usually tell us to trust the universe or trust the process. Well, that's easier said than done! After I moved to my new neighborhood, I had this unexplainable primal fear for the first few months. It was like walking in the dark and totally not knowing where my next step would land. New, new, new all around me! It was exciting to experience a whole new place to live, but I needed some time to get used to it all. So, I felt the fear and took a step. I took another step, and I talked about it with my support circle. I took another step and focused on self care. Just did the next right thing and took one step at a time. I tried to trust that things would get better, and they did. Eventually, I got through the change. Sometimes I just need to feel the fear and do it anyway. That's the real definition of courage, right?

As for some of the emotional changes I went through, I actually wanted to experience them. All year I asked the universe to teach me about love and romance, how to be a better boyfriend and a better guy. I went through some really meaningful lessons that changed my perspective on how to be in a relationship and also what I wanted from it. Most of the self-discovery were basic reminders to be more patient with myself and my partner. What can I say, I'm a classic in progress!

Some of these changes really hurt and brought up a lot of feelings. There was some sweat in the gym and there were some tears shed privately and also with friends during the transformation. Sometimes I was scared shitless, and I thought the universe didn't care about me and what I wanted. But I guess I got what I needed, and that is now helping me get what I want. Kudos universe!

So, it was a year of fun and a year of tough yet really valuable changes. I'm looking forward to 2015. Went through some pain, and I'm ready for the gain!