Change can be good for you

There was a time in my life when I had to realize something uncomfortable: I couldn't keep asking for a different life while continuing to do the same things.

I wanted peace, but I was entertaining things that disturbed my peace.

I wanted growth, but I was holding on to things that kept me comfortable.

I wanted elevation, but I was still surrounded by some of the same conversations, habits, and situations that belonged to an older version of me.

And that's when I learned one of life's hardest lessons:

Sometimes the change you're resisting is the very change that can set you free.

CHANGE ISN'T ALWAYS A BAD THING

We hear the word change and immediately think something is wrong.

A relationship changes.

A friendship changes.

A job changes.

Our finances change.

Our environment changes.

Our goals change.

And sometimes those changes hurt.

But change isn't automatically bad. Sometimes change is simply life telling you that it's time to move forward.

Think about it.

You wouldn't expect to wear the same clothes forever. You wouldn't expect your children to remain the same age forever. You wouldn't expect the seasons to remain the same.

So why do we expect ourselves to remain the same?

We are supposed to evolve.

We are supposed to learn.

We are supposed to grow.

We are supposed to change.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT YOU CONSUME

One thing I've learned is that change isn't always about making some dramatic move.

Sometimes it's about making small adjustments to what you allow into your mind.

Change the programs you watch.

Change the music you listen to.

Change the podcasts you consume.

Change the conversations you participate in.

Change the social media accounts you follow.

Change the information you're feeding yourself.

Because what you consume matters.

If you're constantly consuming negativity, drama, violence, arguments, gossip, and dysfunction, eventually some of that energy begins to affect how you think and feel.

But when you intentionally start consuming things that educate you, motivate you, inspire you, and challenge you to become better, something begins to shift.

What you put into your mind matters just as much as what you put into your body.

Protecting your peace sometimes means changing what you consume.

EVERYBODY CAN'T GO WHERE YOU'RE GOING

This is probably one of the hardest lessons to accept.

Sometimes the change you need involves people.

And let me be clear: not everyone you outgrow is a bad person.

Sometimes you simply aren't going in the same direction anymore.

You may have different goals.

Different priorities.

Different values.

Different visions for your future.

And that's okay.

There are people who were meant to walk with you for a season, but not necessarily the entire journey.

You have to be willing to recognize when a relationship, friendship, environment, or connection is no longer helping you become the person you're trying to become.

That doesn't mean you have to hate anybody.

It doesn't mean you have to create drama.

Sometimes you simply have to create distance.

Elevation sometimes requires separation—not because people are bad, but because your direction has changed.

WHY DO WE RESIST CHANGE?

I think one of the biggest reasons people resist change is comfortability.

We know what we're dealing with.

We know the routine.

We know the people.

We know what tomorrow is going to look like.

Even when we're unhappy, there's something comfortable about knowing what to expect.

But here's the problem:

Familiar doesn't always mean good.

You can be comfortable and still be unhappy.

You can be comfortable and still be unfulfilled.

You can be comfortable and still be stuck.

Sometimes we're not afraid of change itself.

We're afraid of what might happen after we change.

What if I leave and things don't work out?

What if I start the business and fail?

What if I move?

What if I walk away?

What if I start over?

But here's another question we have to ask ourselves:

What if it works?

What if the decision you've been afraid to make is the decision that changes everything?

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing between us and the life we want is us.

We talk ourselves out of opportunities.

We convince ourselves we're not ready.

We compare our journey to someone else's.

We allow fear to make decisions for us.

We say, "I'll do it later."

I'll start the business later.

I'll write the book later.

I'll go back to school later.

I'll leave later.

I'll pursue my dream later.

I'll take care of myself later.

But eventually, later has to become now.

You don't need to change everything overnight.

Sometimes you just need to make one decision.

Wake up earlier.

Read a book.

Take a class.

Start saving money.

Set a boundary.

Turn off the television.

Delete the negative social media accounts.

Stop participating in conversations that don't serve you.

Apply for the opportunity.

Start the business.

Write the first page.

Make the phone call.

Take the first step.

You don't have to change your entire life today. Sometimes you just have to change your next decision.

YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE YOUR PATH

One of the most powerful things about life is that we have choices.

We don't get to control everything that happens to us.

We can't control other people's decisions.

We can't control every circumstance.

We can't rewrite the past.

But we can decide what we do next.

We can choose growth.

We can choose peace.

We can choose discipline.

We can choose forgiveness.

We can choose to start over.

We can choose to pursue something different.

And sometimes we have to stop waiting for somebody else to give us permission to live the life we want.

You don't need permission to grow.

You don't need permission to change.

You don't need permission to pursue your purpose.

You don't need permission to choose yourself.

TAKE A LEAP ON LIFE

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that change is easy.

It isn't.

Sometimes change is scary.

Sometimes change is lonely.

Sometimes you will cry.

Sometimes you will question yourself.

Sometimes people won't understand your decisions.

But growth isn't always comfortable.

There are moments when you have to walk away from what you know to discover what you don't.

And that's where faith, courage, and trust come in.

Take the leap.

Not because you know exactly how everything will turn out.

Take the leap because you believe your future deserves the opportunity to be different.

You are allowed to evolve.

You are allowed to change your mind.

You are allowed to change your environment.

You are allowed to change your circle.

You are allowed to change your goals.

You are allowed to start over.

You are allowed to become someone your younger self never imagined you could be.

And you are absolutely allowed to pursue a life filled with peace, purpose, growth, and goodness.

QUEEN'S TAKE 👑

Here's what I want you to think about after reading this:

What needs to change in your life?

Not everybody else's life.

Yours.

What are you watching that you probably shouldn't be watching?

What are you listening to that's feeding negativity instead of growth?

Who are you constantly around that leaves you drained instead of inspired?

What habit do you know you need to break?

What dream have you been putting off?

What decision have you been afraid to make?

And most importantly...

What would your life look like if you stopped standing in your own way?

You don't have to have all the answers.

You don't have to know exactly where the road leads.

You just have to be willing to take the next step.

Because sometimes the blessing isn't waiting for you to become comfortable.

Sometimes it's waiting for you to become courageous.

So make the change.

Protect your peace.

Choose your circle carefully.

Feed your mind something better.

Give yourself permission to grow.

And when life presents you with an opportunity to step into something new...

TAKE THE LEAP.

Because change can be uncomfortable.

Change can be scary.

Change can be unexpected.

But sometimes...

CHANGE CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU.