Change.

Change equals life. We are born on this planet with an encoded set of individual genetic characteristics. To a certain extent this modifies the person we become. Our enivironment molds us. But all of us hold within us inifinite possibilities. However, it is up to the individual to try and let the full potential of our being manifest itself over the course of our lives.

The most vital thing in the human development in my mind is the acceptance of change. There is no limit to personal growth. We are forever changing beings. With this in mind we could also say that we can never be ready. And that to me means freedom. In a way it also takes the pressure off, because there is no one end result we are aiming at.

But why is it so difficult to accept change? Why are we so deterministic? Somehow we are programmed - by our culture perhaps - to be holding on to our initial beliefs, thoughts and plans. Even though our world is in constant motion and things develop rapidly, so many of us try to keep holding on to the old. One must stick to a certain career, even though it has proven to make one very unhappy, because "I worked hard for it". One must stay in a destructive relationship, because "I must follow through what I have started".

All of this seems absolutely ludicrous thinking about it. Our journey in life is completely unknown, so it is impossible to predict what kind of people we will meet and the experiences we will have, and these are the things that eventually will shake us and lead us to question the person we are, and if we are open, cause us to change. If only we realised that it is not a sign of weakness to change. To me it's quite the opposite, I see it as a sign of courage and strenght to be able to accept and admit "no, this isn't me anymore". And anyway, in most cases we simply don't know what we truly want until we have experienced it, or what we truly think until we have been challenged.

I believe the number one cause for unhappiness is knowing you want change but not letting it happen. In a way this is good, because it means unhappiness belongs in our lives, it is actually the driving force for change. Of course, by no means am I suggesting that change is easy. We know from psychology that all major changes, whether they were good or bad, cause a crisis on a personal level. But once we understand that change is in fact the characteristic nature of life, we learn to deal with the crises better. 

I'm thinking of the phrase "I didn't know better." It's a way of saying "I forgive myself". Understanding how life works helps us learn mercy on ourselves. We did the things we did based on our values and beliefs of the time. But it is our responsibility to have an open heart and keep looking, in order to be challenged and reformed over and over again. Until "we know better", once again.