This is Your Sign to Stop Being Afraid of Change

You are more resilient than you think

Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I turned to my two favorite psychology podcasts for advice (The Happiness Lab and A Slight Change of Plans.)

I was getting stressed thinking about my future and listening to Laurie and Maya reminded me how much more resilient humans can be in the face of change than our brains lead us to believe. I shouldn’t be afraid, and neither should you.

Resilience is the underrated human superpower

I remember putting my foot down on the concept of resilience as a teenager. I was going through a phase in which I would look for aesthetic inspirational quotes on the internet. I remember saving one that I liked because of the font. It read “Everything happens for a reason”.

As time passed, I started thinking, if everything happens for a reason, what is the reason for some people to lose their children in war, to die of cancer, or to end up homeless? If there is a reason for everything, does that also mean some things are meant to happen? The quote made no sense to me.

Some things just happen, and we have to deal with the consequences, that’s it. And if you want to find reason in everything, then that’s your choice.

I think the quote is supposed to soothe us and make us feel better in times of difficulty. Because our brains are made to look for patterns even when there aren’t and find answers even when there aren’t any.

Then what am I left with, if everything does not have a reason? I found my answer in human resilience. I was left with the thought that even in the face of difficulty, humans persevere. We make reasons for everything that happens.

Religious people might find reason in God. They might say “Everything happens for a reason because god made it that way”. But I am not religious, so what I can say is that humans, as they grow, are shaped by the choices they make. Whatever the outcome of change, humans find a way to make things work and can find happiness after a period of unsteadiness.

I find this thought relaxing because it takes the pressure off of making big decisions in life. I can rest assured that I am more resilient than my brain wants me to believe and that I will be fine whatever my decision may be.

How the psychology of change helped me choose to pursue creative writing

So what is it that was worrying me? Well, many things, but primarily I had just come out of an afternoon in which I was looking for suitable universities for my master’s degree. I still don’t know where I will be going, but at least I decided on what I want to study: Creative Writing and Publishing.

The joy of writing came to me first during journaling and then letter writing for friends on their special occasions. I experienced firsthand how writing puts order to thoughts, and how journaling is useful for processing emotions and life events. Then again, most times it’s the letter that comes with the present that people are moved by.

I eventually decided that I should pursue writing more seriously. To find human connection when writing and reading excites me.

In times of change, the moment “before” is always the most tense, full of uncertainty. We like the status quo, we want to protect it. Now that I am trying to find a good university to go to for my master’s degree, it’s normal to feel nervous about it.

But looking back on life experiences, I realized that I needn’t be as fearful of change as I might feel. I have always come out of difficulties as a better person, and changes have shaped my personality for the better too.

Thank you for reading until the end. If you enjoyed this piece you should consider subscribing to my newsletter and reading more published articles of mine!

EMAIL ME AT federica.morgandi@gmail.com
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ABOUT ME Federica Morgandi, University Graduate in Online Culture. 
Digital Media and Culture enthusiast.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN Italian, Japanese, English.