Changes.

{Here's the song I'm using to soundtrack tonight's post: Moment I Said It}

So, guys, in case you didn't know, I got a haircut. There were a few reasons for the new "do"(Do people even use that phrase anymore? "Do"? Is it even being used properly? I just stared at that sentence for a minute, but it seems appropriate.) Yeah, it sucked that my hair was hard to maintain or style, just the way I liked it. There was also a lot of it, which means more hair in my face or other random places. And if it got messed up, which it so often did, I'd be stuck wearing a hat. 

Leading up to the haircut was quite a nervewrecking experience. You'd think that I, a pretty logical and rational individual, would be aware that I had nothing to lose with a shot at something different. I mean, hair does grow back. This is nothing new. But I learned that a change as small as: what kind of haircut should I get, can be very similar, emotionally and mentally, as any major change...

We all have a certain comfort zone that we've gotten acclimated to. So when this prospect of change comes up--we hesitate, we stress, we overthink, we don't sleep, etc. It consumes us, more or less depending on the degree of change.  We start to wonder whether the change we were confident about is really worth the risk of it potentially backfiring and going contrary to what we wanted. We pursue the upsides in our heads at full speed, until we catch a glimpse of the possible downsides. Continuing with the haircut as an analogy, we wonder if maybe we come out of it looking worse and regretting taking that chance. Perhaps we're better off playing it safe, but then the curiousity of this "what-if" will return and continue to grow, metaphorically dragging us to a fork in the road where more often than not, we take the tried and true route, even if the other option may hold something better.

In life, our decisions can be broken down pretty simply. We can keep the training wheels on and ride comfortably. It might not be as enjoyable, but maybe, for right now, we're alright with that. Or we could chance a scraped knee or two with the prospect of being freed and unhindered. The bruises gathered along the way won't be pleasant at first, but they are temporary. After all the falling and crashing is done though, you can ride faster and more liberated than before. And when that happens, those temporary pains will be long gone from your head.

Maybe we examine the prospect of change when we feel that we aren't fully content. We seek the means to grant us that fulfillment in whatever area of our life that is--be it hairstyle, fashion, hobbies, future, career, relationships, etc. But if we refuse to leave our comfort zone, than we can never truly know. Until that step into the dark has been tried, you cannot know if you'd be happier. That is not to say that every move for a change will be a better one, but at the very least, it'll reinforce your confidence in that which you had already discovered. In my opinion, life's a lot more fun and exciting when you take a chance or two. Not only will you learn a thing or two about others, but you'll learn even more about yourself.