One of the first words that a person links with the word evolve is change. So I’d like to ask you: How are you with change? It is true that the only constant in life is change.
Try to remember your 20-year-old self. What defined that era of your life? For many, it can be nights out with friends, traveling, and spending on wants with one’s hard-earned money.
Now look back at your 30-year-old self. What personal changes did you welcome into your life?
At that time, I was a new mom, a master’s student, and a wife. I also learned how to welcome in skincare and makeup as staples of my self-care routine! I realized belatedly that despite the many hats I juggle, I had to look after myself because who else will do that for me? I need to care for myself so I have more to give my family. Life challenged me to evolve with the times.
By the time I was 40, I learned to let go of things not meant for me, to find joy in my own life, and to rid myself of the pressures of comparisons with others’ lives and timelines. I found my own person and challenged myself, instead, to become the best version of myself. It calls for a good sense of self-awareness to evolve.
Times of crisis and difficulty present us with the chance to become our best selves. Take my Typhoon Ondoy experience, for example, the second most heart-wrenching thing after losing my son. There was loss, but inevitably I found joy.
Today we are faced with a globally shared experience. What kind of person do you want to look back on when you someday imagine who you were at this time?
I for one realized that I want a strong body. From practicing only for two to three times a week, I now practice yoga daily. I also realized that my plants at home are thriving! It took me a few tries before I was able to make this work. As silly as this sounds, I also realized that I can live without my trips to the nail spa! I have evolved into someone who listens to my body’s needs better. But the physical life should not be the only one that evolves. The spiritual life should too! My prayers now sound different. Things have changed. In terms of emotional life, I realized the importance of growth and nurturance in relationships. We should welcome change in it too. Love after all is a decision we make every day.
What am I driving at? It is simply to encourage to not live life too rigidly! Evolve. Change is all around us. We have to learn how to flow with change. We can do this by engaging in the following:
Accepting change may sound straightforward and obvious but it is an essential step that must not be skipped!
Be active in the process of evolving. Challenge yourself to adapt and be better.
Check the circumstances. There are changes in our environment, be attuned to how you are changing with it.
Differences. Be flexible because there is always a different way of doing things.
Enable. Be the good kind of enabler. Check yourself constantly. For example, if you’re frustrated with your child because he is having too much gadget time or computer games, refuse the urge to bring food to him in his room. This will just reinforce the habit you wish to break. Be a healthy enabler and cultivate healthy habits.
Sometimes, we evolve due to the circumstances that we experience. But many times, we evolve amidst the circumstances. Take an active part in change so you can facilitate growth and live out your new life realization. Each day, we should strive to be better. Every day is an opportunity to be the best version of yourself. – WITH PAU DE VERA