Change is in The Air

Here we go again. We’re standing at a threshold of yet another new year.
Is this year going to be different from all the other years? The answer is in your hands. Only you can change your world.
“Shana”, the Hebrew word for year, comes from the same root word as change. Change is an inevitable part of our lives. Our relationships change when we meet new people, and our relationships evolve with the ones we already know. Throughout our lives we change schools, homes and jobs, marital status and much more. We constantly change, as we start to grow old from the minute we’re born. We change physically, emotionally and mentally. And we change our minds and moods all the time, just like we change socks.
Changes that happen to us and are beyond our control can be scary. They can cause us great discomfort even if they change from bad to good. We don’t like to be shaken from our comfort zone. We prefer the old and familiar. Of course, we need to know the difference between what can or cannot be changed.
Even the slightest change must begin with an idea, a thought, a vision, and that must be followed by focus and determination to make it happen. It takes risks, courage and energy to make changes. Trust that the change will be for the better; at worst, there’s a learning experience in it. Embrace it. Either way, the change brings a new opportunity to grow from it. Change is a chance to move from the past to a new future, sort of like exiting one room in order to move to the next one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” The moment of feeling 100% comfortable and confident about making positive changes never arrives; nevertheless, we have to do what’s best for us. In the process, we’ll discover and learn a lot about ourselves. That kind of growth is an empowering, life changing experience! It’s your journey; make it something exciting and interesting that will lead you to the best possible life for you. I wish you all a fantastic New Year!
Naomi Young is an educator of Jewish studies and a Bar/ Bat mitzvah tutor in Santa Clarita for 36 years. She’s also a published writer and an artist. Contact her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com. Visit her art website www.naomiyoung.com.