Change: The inevitable, necessary Evil

If there is one thing certain in this life, it is that things change. We can't stop it and we cannot slow it down. Life is very seldom stable, calm, and predictable, yet we condition our minds to be prepared for the day that we get comfortable. For the day that life slows down and we finally feel in control. As humans, we become creatures of habit. We like things to be a certain way and few if any try to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. We try to put a stop sign up when life is going well, and would kill to fast forward through our dry periods. 
Now, I enjoy consistency and stability as much as the next person, however, I have lived my life in a way where I am constantly putting myself out of my comfort zone. Almost as if I were rejecting feeling comfortable. The latest example of this would be with my career. Back in April I started a new position. This position gives me a lot of creative freedom with how I approach treating my patients and there isn't a lot of paperwork. Honestly it's pretty amazing and I have acclimated to it fairly nicely. 
Recently at my job there have been a lot of moving around with positions due to unexpected resignations and people moving about and adjusting to fill positions and make sure all the work is being completed. With this shift, I decided to apply for a different role with my employer. I am still a Recreation Therapist, but my responsibilities have changed. My focus is now more directly involved in patient care. I am in charge of my own unit and have more of an integral part in getting them to a point where they become stable and can discharge. I am very excited with this transition, however, it does mean taking on a very different set of responsibilities including attending treatment teams, writing weekly/monthly progress notes, developing appropriate treatment goals, and generating schedules for my patients among other things. Needless to say I will have less freedom and have to restructure my priorities and focus a lot.
Now this change is stressful in itself, but to add onto my plate, I not only have to balance the responsibilities of my new position, but also until a replacement is found to fill my old spot, those duties fall on my lap as well. This has proven quite difficult. Whenever the reset of the treatment team is available to meet, I typically am providing groups for our treatment mall. When I could be doing individualized treatment with my patients, I am learning the logistics of paperwork, lesson planning for my groups, or covering the groups of coworkers that have called in or are on vacation. It has been a nonstop steam of one thing after the other, after the other and to be honest I have been quite exhausted with it. 
It has gotten to the point where I start to question why I even put myself in this position at all. I was perfectly content with my prior position. I had a lot of freedom and I was finally starting to feel my groove. So why the heck would I agree to take on more of a challenge. After all, it would have been perfectly acceptable considering I'd only been in my old position for four months. Why do I continually find myself putting myself in situations out of my comfort zone?
Do I simply get bored with routine? Do I enjoy the challenge? Does it make me feel like I have something to work for? Am I a glutton for punishing myself? Do I simply need an excuse to stress eat all the good things? What is the reason I find myself purposefully adding all the stress that comes with changing things up?
Now reader, I don't want you to think I'm throwing myself a pity part over here with all the "why me" junk. I put myself into these situations. I know the logistical why, what I don't know is the deeper meaning behind it. I've always been one of those people who thinks that we can always grow and learn. I think we lose at life when we become stagnant and content. However, I feel like I've been taking it a step further and not allowing myself to get to a point where I become comfortable before switching it up and that is what concerns me. My question now becomes, am I afraid to be comfortable?
Regardless of my own dilemma, I would like to take a second to talk with you reader about the necessity of change. As I mentioned before change is inevitable. It can be challenging and scary, but without change there is no opportunity for progress and growth. We fear change because it brings about the unknown. It is human nature to want to feel in control and by embracing change, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to failure.
English writer Arnold Bennett once said, "Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomfort." Take a second to fully absorb the meaning of those words. Think about a time when you've experienced change. Was it all rainbows and butterflies or were there struggles that accompanied it?
Let's think about some of the biggest changes that people tend to think positively on in one's life. For example, a couple having a baby. Usually, in the best circumstances this is thought of as a positive alteration to one's life. What they don't tell you is the hours of sleep you'll soon be missing, the amount of items you will now and forever have to take with you for the 'just in case' situations and you are now responsible for the safety and upbringing of another person. Yes, you'll have amazing moments and all things will be worth it in the end, but even with the miracle of life you are creating unforeseen struggles for yourself for years to come. 
Basically, the purpose of the today's topic was to get you thinking about change in your own life. How you conceptualize it and whether or not its something you embrace or run away from. After all, you can either live your life fighting the unavoidable, or you can start changing your mindset to instead think of change as a positive necessity. Either way, the true beauty lies in that choice being all yours. 
Hope you have enjoyed yourself a wonderful three day weekend with the Labor Day holiday. Don't forget to make someone smile today! Until we meet again.
-Jordan :)