If you follow me on social media, you might have noticed that I am currently going through some foundational changes in my life. A few months ago, I was notified by my landlord that, upon the end of my lease, I would have to move out due to building renovations. When I read that notice I immediately froze in shock. I have to move? What if I don’t want to move? I love my home. How can I resist this?

Those were some of the thoughts that immediately came to mind. I am a creature of habit and I am most definitely a homebody. I have only moved homes twice in my adult life because for me, once I settle into somewhere, I get very comfortable and usually don’t want to leave. So naturally when I was faced with the idea of “forced” changed, I felt very uneasy and had some very small freak-outs.

I think we all are creatures of habit in some varying degree, and so, change can feel very difficult for us. Emotions run heavy when we are forced to leave what’s comfortable and familiar for the new and unknown. What’s been interesting for me in this life experience is my relying on the fact that life is filled with change. Simply, things never stay the same, so it’s crucial to open up our thinking process, and change our mindsets on how we view life changes.

Though it’s been an ebb and flow of high’s and low’s since learning of my move, the second I consciously decided to switch my thinking about change (ie: going from feeling like this was an unfair tragedy to a curious and opportunistic possibility) everything shifted. My viewpoint on said change allowed me to feel like I was more in control of life’s circumstances, rather than playing victim to it.

This has made all the difference for me.

The truth is, change can feel scary and leave us uncertain of what is to come, but it can also:

• Open up the doors to new possibilities that we didn’t know were available to us
• Teach us how to view life through a new lens
• Provide life experiences and knowledge that will aid us in the next level of life
• Release circumstances that are no longer serving us
• Help us grow and adapt to a constantly changing world
• Allow us to become more comfortable with change in general
• Teach us to rely on the one constant: the solid foundation that we have created within ourselves

Even though right now I am truly in the thick of experiencing this life change, I am embracing it and no longer afraid of it. The curiosity and optimism that I feel for what’s around the next corner, allows me to feel certain that these life changes are unfolding for me in a purposeful and meaningful way.

And this can be true for you too! Life changes, though emotional, don’t have to feel scary and dreadful. It’s simply how we view them and process them. Whatever life changes you might be experiencing right now, take heart in trusting that it’s the right thing for you for the next chapter of your life.

I hope my current “moving experience” will  help you to reframe how you may view change and begin to embrace it rather than shy away from it. I’d love to hear how you manage and move through changes that you’ve experienced in your own life. Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below!

xo, Michelle