The past six months at the Record and Northsider offices have been a whirlwind of changes – some exciting, some scary and, to be honest, some just downright terrifying.
But, I am happy to report that we have all survived some trying times, and have a brand new team, ready to serve our community.
And, as I sit in my office, looking out over the editorial floor, I can see the effect of the changes on each one of my journalists, from the most senior to our newest addition. To say that I am proud of them, is an understatement, because I saw them being shaken, moved out of their comfort zones and thrown into new situations, which were not always ideal, but they did not let fear hold them back – they embraced the changes, and came out on top.
In light of this, I started thinking … why are we so afraid of change?
The definition of change is to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc. of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone, and for me, the answer is right there. In order for us to change, we have to take ourselves out of our comfort zones and do something different, and, for most of us, that is terrifying. We fear the unknown, because we cannot anticipate the outcome.
As soon as we decide we want to change, we are plagued by all of the ‘what ifs’. What if I fail? What if they laugh at me or I make a fool of myself? What if I cannot control the situation or am not good enough? What if I make the wrong decision? What if the workload is more, and I cannot handle it?
You should not let these fears hold you back or prevent you from becoming a better version of yourself. And, even though fear of change is natural, it should not paralyse you. You must continue to move forward, despite your pounding heart telling you to turn back. Why? Because making a big, life-changing decision is scary, but there is something even more scary than that – regret.
I would like to challenge you this week to make an effort to get out of your comfort zone and do something that scares you, try something new, or do something different, and leave you with a great quote:
“Someone once told me not to bite off more than I can chew. I said I’d rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.” (Author unknown)
Until next week …
