All progress equates to change | Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
By Tuseet Jha | Tiny Buddha
“Progress is impossible without change.” ~Walt Disney
I want you to look in the mirror and tell me what you see.
Do you look older? Does your skin have more wrinkles? Do you notice dark circles around your eyes or white hair on your head?
You are looking at massive changes from a decade ago. A lot of it you probably don’t like—changes due to your body growing older. Changes that you cannot resist.
Now look in the mirror again. Do you notice a more confident person? Someone who is self-assured, optimistic, and happy in life?
It happened to me a few weeks back when I was getting ready for an interview. For my preparation, I was talking to myself in the mirror, and as I paused, I had this moment of mindfulness in which all I noticed was my confidence, optimism, and positive energy.
This one epiphany completely shifted how I looked at change.
That day in the mirror, I saw progress. I saw a shy anxious kid—one who was afraid and bullied— completely flip the script on its head to become a confident, happy, and self-assured human being.
We all react differently to change. Some of us seek it. Some don’t mind it but won’t actively go looking for it. And others don’t like it.
Regardless of where we stand, I can bet that none of us like it when change is forced upon us. So we fight it because we feel out of control, and the unknown generally feels scary. But what if taking back control was all a matter of perspective?
Change is automatic. It happens whether we like it or not, and we have no option but to face it. It is up to us to make the most of it. We decide how we react to it and what we do with it.
Think Progress, Not Change
All progress equates to change, but not all change equates to progress. You losing your job is change. You deciding to pursue a career that’s more in line with your values and passions is progress.
Progress makes us happy. It makes us want to jump out of bed every day with intent and purpose. Progress pushes us forward. It has to be worked on. Unlike change, it is not automatic.
When I look back at all the progress I have made, it always makes me pause and smile and fills me with joy. It also renews my intent toward my own development.
You cannot sit on your ass and hope to progress. It requires movement. It demands you put in the hours. And in the process, it pushes you to grow. To become someone capable of handling any problems that come your way.
Progress, in the end, pays you back tenfold! And it all starts with change.
