Change is good, right?

A dear work friend recently told me that she would be leaving the company in order to be able to stay home with her kids, and do daycare.  As happy as I am for her, being able to follow her dream, I am sad to not be able to see her smiling face every day.  This will be a huge change in her life, one she has struggled with getting to. 

But change is good, right?

I recently encouraged a friend of mine to join me on this weight loss journey, because she has expressed a need to do something to lose some weight.  When we discussed it, she didn’t think she would be able to follow the program that I am on, because she didn’t think she would be able to succeed at it.  As we discussed it, I told her I was in the same place she was when I decided I had to do something or I would just continue on the same path I had been on, and then I really wouldn’t succeed.  She is still scared of failing (I know she won’t!) but is beginning the journey, despite all her fears.

But change is good, right?

This past week or so, I have seemed to get a few more compliments on my weight loss than I am comfortable with (and really, I always have a hard time with compliments, so more than 1 is difficult.).  I have been working on this for me, for my health, to be able to physically do more and enjoy it all.  The compliments are good, and they feel nice, they just stress me out a little….I mean, really, part of the reason people stay overweight is because it is easier to deal with than losing weight, right?  You don’t have to be the center of attention (coming from a fitness instructor!!!!), and sometimes no one notices you.  The pants that no longer fit, that is hard to deal with, as well (a good problem to have).

But change is good, right?

Yes, it actually is.  I worked for a horrific boss for about 3 years (now I have a great one!) who, for all her negative qualities, taught me one thing that I will keep with me forever.  CHANGE IS GOOD!  Change is challenging, sometimes almost insurmountable, but it is definitely good.

Sometimes the smallest change, can lead to the biggest thing in your life.  For example, years ago, I had two car accidents in three weeks.  Nothing big, but I was injured enough that a doctor said “you will never be able to be a nurse.  You will never be able to lift the patients or be on your feet for that long.”  My question then, “now what?”  I was in college with a major in nursing, I was on the waiting list for the nursing program.  I had to do a complete 180, and changed my major to Accounting.  Two small sentences from a doctor that changed my life.  When I moved to the Midwest, I got an accounting job which led to me meeting my future husband, leading me to end up at the YMCA working out to lose weight for my wedding, leading me to become a group exercise instructor, etc, etc…

So the question is: Why do we fear change?  We don’t fear change, we fear the unknown.  We fear doing something that we have never done before that may not work out like we had hoped.  We fear failing. 

And honestly, as I began this weight loss journey AGAIN, I feared failing, and said that exact thing to my coach.  “I don’t want to fail at this again.”  Just like I always have.  But is that really how we should be looking at it?  Or should we be saying “If I don’t do this, I cannot fail, but I also cannot change unless I move forward”.  And CHANGE IS GOOD!!!!

Current weight.  191.8 lbs.  Down 19.6 since 3/19/12.

That change is VERY GOOD!!!!