Don’t marry yourself to your idea or original plan.

Look, I know it’s tempting to think that change is a scary thing. Like why would you pull out of your comfort zone? When it is so warm. When you can snuggle yourself inside your blankets of saturation and accomplishment. When it feels romantically satiating to be inside your comfort zone, dreaming, hoping, wishing, and wanting change to stay away from you. Forever.

No one gets to be successful the first time or the second time or the 20th time. Think of Thomas Edison or Michael Jordan.

If you knew me a couple of years ago, I’m probably the last person you’d expect to talk about the benefits of change. In my previous jobs, I was pretty damn afraid of any kind change. And I was not ashamed to admit it.

If there was one sure thing in my life, it’s that I would not rock the boat I was in. Why would I do that? When it is paying me my monthly salary. When it is giving me security. When it is giving me comfort.

Ironically, it took ‘I have enough of this boring life’ to change my ways. When I couldn’t stand to wake up even one more day with a pit in my stomach and a terrible foreboding in my heart. I finally decided to take a risk and dabble with change.

Without embracing change, you will not evolve.

Becoming a person who is open to change has helped my blog tremendously.

Think of your days. Is your Tuesday the same as Monday? If it looks a lot like the previous day, you are not thriving. If you feel like you are stuck in one place for so long, you are probably,

·Afraid of change.

· Afraid that change will disrupt your life.

·Afraid you will lose what you have — if you embrace change.

·Afraid of leaving your comfort zone.

Over the past year, I’ve discovered that there is joy in change. I have seen the value of thriving by starting my own blog.

Facing fear, Embracing change, moving forward — in spite of fear, and progressing is how you thrive. It is more about artfully embracing change.

It takes a lot of change (grueling change) to reach a certain point.

What you thought might work might leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. You might have to start again.

You have to get up after your last failed attempt. Dust yourself off, learn something new and try again with that new knowledge in tow.

But we can’t thrive and achieve anything we set out to do if we don’t embrace life’s unexpected twists. Therein lies how you will remain on your last spot or progress even further.

Being angry at the change that is forcing us to change keeps us stuck. Blaming change essentially makes us lose control on the road we are passing.

Because there will always be circumstances beyond your control.

Why can’t I succeed if I just publish blog posts on communication?

I wasted the first four months of my blogging because I refused to change the topics of my blog posts. Even though I have seen an amazing difference between an article I wrote about Emotional intelligence and one about communication.

The first one had many views and read-ratios and the second one, not so much.

Even though the universe was telling me to change my topics, I continued writing the same articles. Failing in the process.

Change confronts us and makes us a more successful and progressive human being. But only if we choose to see it as a positive thing.

What worked last year may not work this year.

And it takes embracing change to change what you are doing. If what you are doing is not working.

But also, things can always get better — even when they are good.

Change is something you have to exercise and hone because it isn’t as simple as saying, “I am going to change.”

Change is about determining what is working and what is not. It is finding ways to work on the things that are not working for you. It is about responding in a way that helps you grow.

That does not mean you won’t be afraid. It means you learn to take risks on the unknown. You learn to leave the path you are comfortable with.

Embracing change does not mean you are going to be free of fear when you take on more risks.

But to thrive and live life fully, you have to make change your friend. A friend you want to see.

I think most writers understand that it takes lots of change in your writing style to connect with readers. You abandon style that was not working for you. You start learning new styles that work.

If you marry yourself to your idea or original plan, you are not going to get far. Because you are not going to get past the next step.

You don’t stay on top of things unless you’re evolving with them.

Why would you leave your comfort zone when you are so comfortably within the clutches of your comfort zone?

Because the term comfort is a dangerous euphemism here.

Because you can’t thrive within your comfort blanket — like a turtle pulling its head inside the shell.

Because this routine of being the same makes us stagnant.

As Kris Gage wrote,

“Achievement doesn’t come with ease or comfort.”

“You have to be willing to size up uncomfortable situations, recognize that you’re going to feel a bit out of your league while engaging in them, and then make the conscious choice to engage in them anyway. You have to learn to disconnect from that part of yourself that tells you, ‘No, stop, retreat.’ You have to barrel on despite it. You have to act in a way that is in conscious and deliberate defiance of your fears.”

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To your inspiration,

Banchi