Why do we fear change?

Do you ever get the feeling that we are afraid of life? Lately I have been thinking a lot about how we humans are so scared of the unknown. Doesn't matter if it's in our professional or personal lives, changes have scared us since the dawn of time. Just take a look back in History: not everyone would sail the ocean looking for a new world, but all have enjoyed what the new lands brought; not everyone would go and protest on the streets against war, but everyone is happy when a war is over.

"We attract what we are ready for." Sometimes I think that this is one of the most correct sayings I've ever heard. What bugs me the most, though, is that when something or someone new comes our way, we always find excuses to get out of it, to fight the change. Suddenly, that job you never liked "develops" many positive sides; that person who broke your heart doesn't seem so bad; the noisy neighborhood you live in is nothing but "lively". We tend to hold on to how things used to be and come up with all kinds of excuses not to face the fact that life is bringing us something new, another experience to help us grow. How many times have we faced a change, which we didn't want at first, but then it turned out to be one of the best times of our lives? So, why are we still afraid of it?

We tend to disguise our fears as a search for perfection. "Oh, that house is nice, but there's no garden." "That girl/guy is attractive, intelligent and successful, but doesn't have blue eyes." "The job is good, salary is great, but it'll take 20 minutes longer to get there everyday." Just a few (and very silly) examples, but we can all relate to something like that. That other job could be much more fulfilling; that small garden could be just perfect; that new person could turn out to be the love of your life. But instead of going for it, we keep looking for perfection when, in fact, we are completely afraid of changing the life to which we have become accustomed to.

I've heard so many times "you're so brave, you leave everything behind and go for what you're dreaming of. You follow your heart." To be honest, I don't think that has anything to do with being brave, just with being happy, with going after what makes my heart smile. Yes, I have acted impulsively and have faced good and not so good consequences, but would I do it again? Hell, yeah! Life is too short not to be lived. Too short not to follow our hearts and be stuck in the illogical fear of "what ifs". Do I have any regrets of all my decisions? No, none. And that's how I plan on continuing living life: following my heart. After all, what really matters in life isn't it love?

So, stop rationalizing, get out of your comfort zone and don't be afraid of what life brings. Be an explorer and discover a new world! If you were not ready to receive that promotion, to change places, to start a new relationship, life would not have delivered these possibilities to you.

That's my Christmas wish for all of you: open your inner gate and life will be much brighter.

Thomas Kinkade - The Open Gate