We’re not meant to stay the same.
We are allowed to change our minds, pivot our ambitions, form new ways of thinking, and challenge ourselves to be the best versions.
Because if we don’t evolve, if we stay stagnant, what’s the point of living?

Evolution didn’t stop when we as humans evolved from our apelike ancestors. 

Evolution happens every day.

Maybe not on a cellular or physical level so much anymore, but on levels like intellect and behaviors.

There is change all around us. 

Our workplace changes, home life changes, social life changes. 

Routes we normally drive change, hometowns change, frequent vacation spots change.

Government changes, our health changes, seasons change. 

We hate it, but it’s necessary. 

It’s uncomfortable, it’s hard, it’s full of unknown. Change ruins the good feeling we attach to an idea we built in our minds of something. The fondness we had developed is somewhat destroyed as it warps into something we don’t easily recognize anymore. You can ignore some of the changes, protest against them, but it won’t matter.
In time, you will have to adapt to it, engage with it, and ultimately accept it.
And that starts with allowing yourself to evolve.

Do things that will make a difference in your life, not things that will keep you stagnant. 

Do you think constantly scrolling through social media, watching trash TV, or always complaining is going to be beneficial in your life? Perhaps on some level, it’s necessary to have some time to unwind after work. Sure, I get that. I’ve watched all ten seasons of Vanderpump Rules. But in no way did it add any value to my life, in no way did it help my evolution. It certainly didn’t add to my intellect. Using screens and engaging in babble about things that don’t matter, that’s wasting brain power. 
Pick up a book, read controversial viewpoints, catch up on social movements, talk to someone in a field that isn’t related to yours, volunteer somewhere. Do something that will challenge you to get uncomfortable, that will alter the way you think about things, that will force you to be challenged and learn something new.

Stop spending so much energy on what has passed. 

It will never come back to you the same way you remember it. Thinking back on how things used to be is nostalgic, sometimes soothing for the soul. I love thinking about the simplicity of visiting my family in Croatia and helping on the farm, taking trips to the beach with friends every 4th of July, or the feelings old friendships bring to mind. But it can be destructive if we focus on the wrong aspects.
You can’t bring back what already happened. Don’t forget your history, don’t forget how things used to be. Appreciate it, learn from it, grow from it, and most importantly make new memories. Don’t be the person who looks back on their memories from 10 years ago and thinks “Wow, nothing has changed”. Don’t risk your present becoming your past because you spent too much valuable time living for what once was.

As you experience the good and the bad aspects of life, you should have evolved along the way. 

It doesn’t matter if it was your worst day or your best day, experiences will alter you in some way. Hopefully, it propels you forward and doesn’t keep you stagnant. What you thought was cool back in the day, will likely make you cringe now. Those lyrics and quotes I posted on my Facebook wall in 2006 make me thankful that no one will ever revisit that version of me. My thoughts, my behaviors, my interests, my opinions have all evolved over time as I outgrew versions of myself.
How many times have you outgrown a friendship because the other person stayed the same? They stay hanging with the same people who have no real ambition in life, they chase materialism instead of dreams. They stay at the same job they still bitch and complain about with no intentions of leaving. They stay in a relationship that continues to go nowhere because it’s easier than starting over. They live in the same hometown and hate the same people for the same reasons. Extreme, but you get the point. I bet you even pictured a few people. Probably the same people who tell you you’ve changed, thinking it’s a bad thing.

Congrats — This is likely the best compliment you could have received!

If you can look at yourself and be confident that you’ve changed for the better, evolved with the times and not fought against it, you can pat yourself on the back and cut whatever ties hold you to that person.
Because if you needed a sign, there it is. 

Evolving doesn’t mean giving up the building blocks of your character, the core of what makes you, you.

What it means is that you are stacking on the foundation you already have to keep being the best versions of yourself. You’re mindfully and purposefully improving. It involves introspection, growth, self-awareness, humility, and maturity. It involves action and constant reassessment. We do it every day in little ways without even noticing. Stop fighting against it, lean into it. 

One of the only things we can count on in this life is change.

(well… and death but let’s not go there)

Until next time,