I don’t like change, it terrifies me to my absolute core. Once I find my comfort in any aspect of my life, be it on a more personal level or in the professional realm, change is the one factor I fear might oscillate.

When I moved to Lahore from London, I was excited at the prospects of a new life but I was also zapped into an abyss of constant worrying from such tremendous change.

I’d be waking up in a house that didn’t feel like home, without my khaala who was my maternal figure, and without the comfort of knowing I could hop on a bus to see my three best friends who lived so close by. I thought I’d never be able to adapt to these alien circumstances around me, but I did.

I adapted. I took change straight by the horns and let time heal me.

It took me a lot of time and learning. It’s still a journey, some days are better than others. But I’ve learned to accept that change is inevitable and regardless of how much I detest it (and, oh boy, I detest it so much), change will happen.

Every day harbors change. It’s just a question of how you deal with it.

I learned to accept that it’s foolish to think nothing is temporary.

While change varies in size and realization, sometimes it hits us hard. And as much as I might think it is the enemy, it isn’t the antithesis of happiness. When you’re comfortable, you aren’t accepting change, however the moment you’re pushed into an unfamiliar territory where everything feels out of place, you’re already unconsciously accepting all the alterations of your life.

You have to let change sculpt your life because you aren’t in control of it.

How we embrace change – that’s on us.

Take a risk and don’t stay complacent. When you’re in your comfort zone, you become lazy. As cliche as it might sound, we all go through change. We lose people, we lose things, we lose jobs, and we lose ourselves along the way. Our lives are a constant metamorphosis.

Some people are so afraid of the fated that they stay fixated on trying to live to the fullest in their tiny little bubble. It’s all about how we respond that dictates how well we can deal with it.

It might be painful or it can be wonderful, but in most cases if you aren’t sure what change will bring, then it can be the best thing to happen to you only if you learn to embrace it head on.

Don’t fight change. Embrace it.

Change can be daunting, and dwelling on concerns and bottling them up is never a good idea. Know how to channel your emotions because they’ll help you in the long run too – remember change always lingers in the air. Always.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah once said to ‘expect the best, prepare for the worst.’ I take that in stride with this endless whirlwind of a journey that is built upon change. Don’t live in fear.

Cover image via: MAD Films / Third Eye Pictures