The Positives on Being The BlackSheep and Why You Shouldn’t Fear the Unknown
Change is inevitable but growth is optional.
In an ideal world, wouldn’t we all like to sit in the comfort and safety of what we believe to be true about ourselves?
I mean, it’s safe, right? But when you think about it, what’s more painful: the thought of remaining the same or the thought of change?
I grew up surrounded by adults who would become paralyzed by fear at the mere thought of change.
I was told to finish High School and get a job. Work, make money, stay in the same town I grew up in and hopefully find a partner to settle down with.
Nothing about that suggestive plan sounded appealing to me. And so I became the black sheep of the family.
I became the black sheep when I decided to go to college.
I became the black sheep when I moved out of the small town I was raised in.
Change always symbolized unfamiliar territory to my mother and anything unfamiliar was risky. I don’t blame her at all. This makes sense because it was how she had always lived her life. It was the only way she knew how.
As a result, I too embodied this way of thinking for a long time. I used to choose to sit in the comfort and safety of what I thought to be true about myself. Of where I believed my limits were. Until one day, I realized I had a CHOICE. I can’t say for sure when that day happened exactly or if there was an epiphany moment I had, but I can tell you I only realized these things by initially having enough courage to step outside my comfort zone.
I had a choice to rewrite the narrative to the story of my life. I had a choice to drop all judgment towards my mother.
Changing my way of thinking did not happen overnight. It took years- decades even. I had to relearn to tune into what I actually wanted in my life and overcome my fears that came along with that. I had to learn to trust myself.
No one warns you about the amount of mourning in growth- but my God, there is a ton.
In order to change, you need to accept things you may not be ready or willing to accept. For me, it was about accepting my harsh upbringing in order to turn it into my message of strength and perseverance. I had to give up the pain of remaining the same and embrace the pain of beautiful growth and change.
With that said, If you are feeling stagnant or stuck, ask yourself, do you think that maybe you aren’t getting the change you really want because you aren’t ready to face the pain that comes with the process?
I read somewhere that we have to become so fed up with our own BS in order to pursue real growth and change. Are you fed up yet? How long do you intend on playing that victim card?
Here’s the reality: every single day, you have the power to say, this is NOT how my story will end.
EVERYDAY.
You get the chance to commit to yourself again and again. No matter how many times you fail in the process, with each new day, you have an opportunity to reinvent yourself. And the nice thing is it’s NEVER too late to start. Or start over. Fail and fail again because each failure is a new opportunity to get better.
You have the chance today to finally become that strong, beautiful human you know you were always meant to be. So what’s it going to be? Only you can make the choice. I know it can be scary but I believe in you.