Embracing Change Made Easy

It was 4:30 a.m. on a winter morning when I opened the main door to greet the pre-dawn world. It was a cold morning sans the regular fog of January. I smiled at the pitch dark world that was lit up in the distance with intermittent street lights.I walked out to breathe the freshness of the new day when I was taken aback by a curled up black and white creature that seemed to stare at me from the porch. I gasped and took two steps back, gulping a large mouthful of my fear in the process. I froze in the moment but soon gained my senses fortunately. I rushed inside and quickly closed the wire mesh door and gazed at the uninvited curly guest that had still not moved.

"I just wish it is not a snake?" my heartbeat quickly gained speed and I peeped at the creature through the wire mesh. I waited for it to move but it lay 'almost dead' on the floor. I did not have an inkling till then that a dead looking creature could scare me to such an intensity. I switched on the light in the porch but, to my disappointment, it was fused. I knew I had to take immediate action as it could be a deadly venomous snake waiting in my porch to start its day with some human platter for its breakfast. I was in no mood to be bitten early in the morning so I just rushed inside the house. I moved around the house in a flustered state, wondering how to tackle the early morning problem that had forcibly slithered its way into my day. I reached for the chest of drawers and pulled out a torch, then tiptoed to the main door. I flashed the light on the creature that lay there in the dead silence of the biting cold morning. The curled up being was too far to be clearly visible in the short ray of light. I waited for it to move but there was no movement at all. A chirp of a stray bird added to the tremor of my erratic heartbeat. 

"Should I wait for the day to break and make this unwanted guest visible or throw a bucket of water to scare it or do I call for help?" I was exploring all the possible options available. Then in the heat of the moment, I decided to act brave. I found a stick and just rushed out of the door to move it with the stick. I gathered some courage and used caution with force and moved the curly one towards the garden with a quick sweep of my arm. I was glad to be alone at that moment as the sight on the porch was worth a hearty laugh. I do not think I have ever felt so foolish in my life. I was in a dilemma whether to laugh or to knock my head. The curly one turned out to be a perfectly rolled up scarf that looked like a striped creature in the dim lights of the dark morning. I stood there for a couple of minutes with the stick in my hand and a sheepish look on my face. I had been scared by an inanimate object which appeared lethal in the darkness before dawn.

This is exactly what happens when we try to bring about a change in our behaviour. Change appears as the impossible thing to adopt. We avoid it, we fear it, try to view it from a distance and make it seem like a task. We are afraid to bring about change. This calls for using our inner strength to fight our fears and sweep them aside with a stick. Fears are also inanimate objects that can be swept aside when we are determined to change. Change is like the scarf that has the power to instil fear in our minds even though it is completely harmless. We avoid it out of fear and stay away from it, assuming it to be something that can cause harm to us. The reality is completely different. Change is a friend which always helps us in moving ahead in life. We create an improved version of ourselves by embracing change. There are chances of stagnation if we do not try to change our path in life or our perspectives about life. We have to grow emotionally and mentally as we progress in life and change is required for both to take place. We cannot avoid it as it will make an appearance out of nowhere to help us move ahead in life. We need to be open minded about change and accept it wholeheartedly for our own welfare. I would not have been able to step out of my house if I had not picked up the stick and decided to confront the creature that lay in my porch. My decision to face the creature enhanced my courage and I was able to deal with the situation.       Change helps in bringing out our latent talents to the fore and makes us face life and it's challenges with maturity. As we face the challenges and make the best use of opportunities that come along with them, we grow and progress in life.

- This is an excerpt from my book 'Taming Anger Constructively' (available on Amazon).