jenforsberg

As I packed my meager belongings into a couple of used brown boxes I wondered if the kids at the next school would like me or not. I didn’t belong there and I knew I would never fit in. Why did my life have to get uprooted again? This wasn’t fair.

* * *

Over the years I lost track of how many times we moved. Unstable would be the best word to describe that time in my life. I can remember only a couple prized possessions that made it through countless moves and the rest of my belongings were disposable. While I hated the process every time it happened, it played a huge part in the development of my resilience.

Now, I thrive on change. I get stir crazy if things stay the same for too long. Which is why I’m constantly rearranging my furniture or swapping items out to try something new. I can’t believe that I’ve lived in the same home for 21 years now. Two of our children have only lived in one home in their entire life. Sometimes I worry that this stability will result in a lack of adaptability.

I’ve noticed that many people have a difficult time dealing with change. Even in the workplace, it’s imperative to be able to pivot when things change. I firmly believe that my unstable childhood gave me an advantage later in life that most people didn’t get. I like change; I thrive on receiving new challenges; sometimes I even instigate change just to feel the thrill of it.

Maybe what I love most is the new beginnings and fresh starts that change offers. The beauty of this life is that we all get a new beginning each and every single day that we’re alive! We can make a different choice today. We can start a new adventure today. We can dream bigger today. Every sunrise offers me a brand new opportunity for something new.

How many sunrises (or sunsets) have you seen in your lifetime? I seem to miss a lot due to being at work inside a building when the sunrise happens and already being asleep when the sun sets. But this time of year means I get to see a sunrise every single day on my way to work and actually most other days since my body doesn’t know how to sleep in on my days off. I view sunrises as a gift and each one brings a smile to my face.

What has been your experience? Do you love or hate change? If adapting comes naturally to you, can you trace it back to where that began? If change is hard for you, do you understand why? I’d love to hear your theory on where adaptability or resilience comes from. I used to think I was just born with it, but after digging deeper, I realized that it was formed from my personal experiences.