On Change
It’s all about gaining a new perspective
Change. It is the one thing each and every one of us knows but are all too afraid to talk about. “I am into this today. Will I be tomorrow? What will I make of myself in 2 years? In 5? Maybe in 10?” In the midst of life, we often forget that nothing is for certain. Sometimes things just change…
Often times, we have this idea of how we want to carry out our lives — what our careers will be, our lifestyle, what we want to make of ourselves — the list goes on and on. Almost always, we seem to believe that we have it all figured out right up until our very last moments. Yet, we always seem to forget about the X factor — change. What happens when life throws a curveball at us? When we are faced with new situations that we aren’t easily able to adapt to? To some, this may seem like a ripple in their plans while others see it as an opportunity. At some point, we have to realize that sometimes the course of action we decide for ourselves isn’t always the one we necessarily end up taking. However, it doesn’t signify the destruction of our end goal; rather, it is simply just a different route leading to our destination.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” — Joseph Campbell
From freshmen year of high school to sophomore year in college, I have always been invested in the field of Computer Science (CS). I participated in robotics, spent my time learning various programming languages along with mobile development, and I even competed in various programming-based competitions. Some would say that I had a passion for Computer Science and I truly did. I loved the problem-solving and critical thinking involved in the field as well as weighing endless outcomes in my mind. As some would say, I’m a thinker and this field requires a lot of critical thinking.
During sophomore year of college, I had to take a course on Computer Systems involving Linux and the C programming language. Turns out, I didn’t do so well. I tried and tried again, but things did not go as I planned to the point where I now have to switch my major. I was devastated and heartbroken. I couldn’t grasp the idea of not being able to major in something I am so passionate about anymore. Endless thoughts raced through my mind no matter how hard I tried to ignore them. Ten years spent building my world around CS and for what? What am I going to do now? I don’t even know what I’m good at. This can’t be happening — not to me.
The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that it was all over for me. But at some point, I realized the reason I was so devastated is because I had a fear of the unknown. Computer Science has always been a safety net for me. I’ve never really had the opportunity to explore any interests I might have outside of that realm. Now, as a junior in college having to switch my major, a world of possibilities opened up for me and it seemed a bit too overwhelming. The thing is, I never really had a fear of switching my major — people switch majors all the time and I will always have an opportunity to learn new CS skills and concepts. However, my fear lied in change because I was letting go of what was to make room for what now is. I was afraid of accepting this as my reality since I have no idea where it leads. As Joseph Campbell once said, “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” I don’t really know what’s next for me in this situation, but I do know where I want to be at the end of it all and I will not let my current circumstances discourage me. It is something new. It is something different. It is change.
What we don’t realize is that the very change we fear can be good for us.
Change is inevitable, no matter how hard we try to avoid it. We need it in order to learn and to grow. So why not take the first step towards the right direction? The truth is we have a fear of things being different; a fear of flying high and it is all due to our insecurities. What we don’t realize is that the very change we fear can be good for us. Think about it. You would have never become the person you are today if you didn’t take that first step to try something new, to learn and to grow.
So I leave you with these words of advice: step outside of your comfort zone. Make memories. Explore. Things are going to be different in a few years so why not make the effort now. One of the biggest regrets you could ever ask yourself is “what if?” Instead of “what if” how about “why not?” Even if you feel as though you’ve got it all figured out, you still have to be aware of the possibility that things may not go in the direction you hoped. However, the most important thing to remember is to never lose yourself and stay true to your identity. Know who you are and where you come from because even if everything around you changes, there will always be that little aspect within you that serves as a safety net and makes you feel right at home. So go on. Take that first step. You may surprise yourself.
