Why "Change is Necessary for Growth"?

I started this blog back in January of 2010, when the hubby and I were living in Monterey, CA. That year (prior to starting the blog), I had completed my graduate degree, moved clear across the country and was living in this beautiful city with so many wonderful things to see and do. At the time, pretty much "everyone" I knew was starting a blog and I wanted to keep my family & friends updated with things that were going on in our lives. I didn't think too much about advertising it, and part of me kept it fairly private for certain reasons. I blogged about Monterey, knitting, cooking and various other "girly" things...I had the occasional commenter, but most of my followers were friends and family.

I stuck with it, but sometimes months would go by between posts...I would lose interest, not knowing how to get more involved with it and not really doing anything to try and improve it (to keep up with the blogging community). Even though I didn't post very often, I still always kept up with daily stalking reading from MANY other blogs that I followed, occasionally finding new ones that would strike my interest. :)

Fast forward to last month...I decided that I had let it go long enough, that I was really interested in becoming a part of this blogging community and getting my blog out there. I'm still not sure that I have a lot of interesting posts or things to offer - I would definitely say that a large focus of my blog will continue to be information-sharing. I say that because, I just don't have a lot going on in my life right now...no kids to post about, no indie biz to rave about...I work (travel for it a little bit), take care of my doggies, volunteer for various organizations and am just continuing to wait until the time comes when the hubby and I can finally have a life together again (or long-distance story is crazy, just trust me)! BUT that being said, I've started linking up with fellow bloggers, filming vlogs, and I'm just really enjoying myself A LOT! Whether people are coming to the blog, watching/reading/listening and actually enjoying themselves, or commenting on things I've talked about...posting every day is giving me goals and deadlines and keeping me focused when I'm not working. :) 

Alright, so now that that's out of the way, I just thought I would write a little bit about why I chose "Change is Necessary for Growth" as my blog title. It's fairly long, I know, but here's the deal...when I went to begin my blog, I struggled in coming up with a name (as I'm sure many bloggers do). I couldn't think of anything that sounded good with my name in it, but I wanted it to be something personal and memorable. #1 - I have always been big into quotes...I used to keep a notebook full of quotes that I would write down, whenever I would stumble upon one that I liked. #2 - Also, at the time I started it, I told you (above) that I was going through a ton of changes AND was looking at at least a few more years of many changes ahead of me! Change was just becoming part of my everyday experiences...new cities, new jobs, new friends, etc. #3 - For a long time, I've been a big proponent of always trying new things, adapting to situations, and trying to enjoy every new experience that gets thrown my way. So, the quote below my title was one that I had written down years ago, and it just speaks to me...and became the basis of my blog title.

Change is Necessary for Growth

Now, do we all change in some shape or form, from day to day? Probably yes, I would say. But there are those who avoid change at all costs...who are so uncomfortable with it, they can't stand it and they run from it. And then there are those people who embrace it, adapt to it, and grow. I am definitely the latter, or at least have learned to be that way over time. I will say, that I have discovered a difference in making your own change vs. change that happens upon you, often when you least expect it. E.g. Deciding to go to graduate school was a big change for me - much more rigorous than undergraduate school and to describe it as challenging is putting it mildly - but I made that choice. Losing a family member suddenly, who will no longer be in your life, is a HUGE change. One that rocks your world and ultimately changes you forever. That change is a little harder to embrace and adapt to...but learning to grow in spite of that change is the obstacle to overcome (at least in my own experiences). 

I just know that I'm constantly changing...not my personality per se, or who I am as a person. But my knowledge changes, interests change, goals change, perspectives change...and I'm looking out across the next year upon MANY more changes coming our way. I'm excited though...and am eager to see how I can grow as a person, based on those changes.

What about you...do you embrace change? Avoid it (no judgement here, I promise)? How does change affect you?