As we walked past volunteers ringing bells and holding signs that said: HELP FEED THE HUNGRY, riddled with pictures of children with sooty features, my best friend became teary-eyed and exclaimed, "That makes me want to cry." I incredulously stared at the signs and scoffed, "Why? It makes me want to laugh." And I gave a cold, heartless chuckle. I was maybe 15 at the time, frigid and unaffected by events and notions that often had the capacity to elicit some sort of empathetic reaction from most. I am no longer this person...I'm not sure I ever was; instead, I was clothed and masked and thus shielded from the true essence of who I truly am.
There are moments in our life that define us and there are moments, I believe, that we remember for the simple reason of believing in change. This moment defined me once. Now, recalling it, I am in awe of how much individuals change over the course of a lifetime, of how much I have changed. How is it only 365 days is all it takes to evolve? 24 hours is the difference between who you were yesterday and who you are today. 24 hours stands between you and the person you are becoming tomorrow. Depending on how long you've been alive, you have been on this planet for thousands, tens of thousands, of years. And you are not the same miracle you were when you took your first breath. Still a miracle, just not the same.
I had a professor once tell me that change is the only constant; that if it were not for change, there would be no need for anything sustaining in this world. If we stayed the same, we'd be infants defecating in our diapers, with the same hair, with the same thoughts, with the same, tiring soul. Change is the only sustaining event. We must evolve, break the molds of our minds every single day, to become. Not to become who we want to be, or become what we are capable of, or even become who we are; to just become.
There is a routine to becoming, a routine to change. Our skin cells push old ones up and away, to flake off the old and regenerate the protective layer that covers us. Our old blood cells, unable to repair themselves, are recycled and made anew. This is sustaining to the body. This is change. There is a natural cycle to change. Our thoughts, our antiquated and faulty beliefs, must change to sustain our emotions and harvest a healthy mind. I used to claim, fervently, that I was "stubborn!" No, no one could change this-- I'm Irish, I'm a Taurus, I'm a Moorefield, with stubborn blood just coursing through my veins. Enter my first ever relationship. Enter my first ever fight in my first ever relationship. Oh, but I'm "stubborn!" I simply could NOT apologize first, I simply could not break the silence by speaking, unless it was to have the last word (another trademark of being stubborn). I had to change. Being stubborn is a poor trait to have and eventually it bites you in the butt, because it shackles you to whatever it is you are attempting to preserve. It is actually the culmination of FEAR OF CHANGE! This thought process of mine, to be stubborn-- chained to staying the same-- severely delayed my progression. Now, my mind is at ease, open to change, open to others' ideas and opinions. Everyday, our thoughts are different. We must allow our thoughts, our emotions, to be rooted in love and in growth. When they are rooted in fear, in "this is the way I've always been and always will be", in preservation, we are mummifying our minds, and thus, our souls and our expansion.
I feel like I always blog (and think) about change. It's just amazing! From our physical bodies, to our mental capacities, to our spiritual self, change is inherent, it is vital, it is chaotic and beautiful. Let it occur! Do not resist change. You can't be a teenager, with cold but "cool" comments forever. You can't wear the same underwear everyday, and expect something magical to happen (unless you're looking to grow fungal infections). You must evolve. It is your duty to be better, STRONGER, than you were yesterday. And although it is important to thank your old self for getting you to where you are now, there is no reason to ruminate on it. You do not need to apologize for your change. "Once", "before", "last year", "used to", are all words you need to ignore about yourself, when your evolution offends.
As 2014 comes to a close, think back to January, when 2013 was just being washed off of you. Where were you? Who were you? And watch, as you fast forward through the year, how much you have become.
You cannot stay the same.
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