How to Adjust To Change and The Importance of Community

Change is inevitable. It’s something that we all experience in our life. While change is an objective thing that happens to all of us, the results of change are subjective to each individual. This week, we are talking about how to adjust to change and the importance of community.

Change Happens

Sometimes change looks like getting your dream job and moving to your favorite city. However, sometimes change can look like unexpectedly losing a loved one or recovering from a bad divorce.

Regardless of how change is shaping your life right now, change can be a good thing. I know that sounds super cliche but honestly, change can be a great thing that happens to us even if the change in our lives doesn’t exactly feel good in the moment.

The way I view change is that it’s a great way to start over. I am all about do-overs. New months, new days, new seasons, I am all about change. I love the idea of starting over and having a new, clean slate. Sure, there have been times in my life where I wrestled with change.

It wasn’t easy going to a College where I struggled with friendships and potential career changes. It wasn’t easy for me staying at a hospital for a surprise illness. But what I learned most about those changes is the importance of community. Had I not gained friendships, great mentors, a supportive family, and an amazing husband, I am not sure I would have appreciated attaining my 4-year degree. Had I not stayed at the hospital for a week, I am not sure I would have valued my circumstances and had the incredible insight on how to maintain my health.

How to Adjust to Change

Change is inevitable but once we learn how to adjust to change, we are fully capable of embracing it. Because we aren’t always in control over what happens to us, there isn’t much we can do when it happens. However, we are in complete control over how we react to our environment.

When it comes to losing a loved one, the process is never easy. But we have two choices of how we react to the loss. We can either allow ourselves to grow bitter and shut people out of our lives. Or, we can use their love and wisdom to make the world a better place.

Either way, we have the power to chose who we allow change to affect us. The way we adjust to change depends on the way we react to it.

If you lose your only source of income, it can be devastating. But again, we are faced with two options. We can either allow our situation to control us where we become bitter and complain about our income all day. Or, we can use that as a driving force to chase after something great that bring us passion. There is complete freedom in change. But, the choice is what we do with it. Do we adjust by allowing it to defeat us? Or, we do adjust by allowing ourselves to opportunity to start over?

The Importance of Community

This week, Cody and I sat down with the Reboots podcast host, Tracy Winchell, to talk about how she was able to adjust to the passing of her father by joining a strong community. Tracy shares with us how after years of allowing the situation to shape her, she began to realize that community was her best driving force. When she joined Celebrate Recovery, a twelve-step program for helping people through pain, addiction, and loss, she was able to see the freedom in change.*

Through connecting with a strong community, she was able to focus on how God was using her situation to help others through their change as well. One of my favorite things about Tracy is her passion for journaling. Journaling has helped shape how she views change and how she is able to connect with those around her.

At The Reckless Pursuit, one of our core values is the importance of community. Whether you are celebrating a win, or mourning a loss, community is a great indicator of how you are able to adjust to the change. When there is a strong group of people surrounding each other in prayer and encouragement, the entire community thrives. Community is important because without it, we would all live in isolation. At the core of our existence, people work better together.

When we have a strong community, we flourish as human beings. We are no longer simply striving for goodness, but we are thriving in greatness.

Remember, change may not always be easy, but it can be a good thing. Change may be inevitable, but community helps guide us along the way.

*To listen to Tracy’s story or more information about Celebrate Recovery, you can listen to this week’s episode on our podcast tab, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.