Here’s the thing about change, more often than not it’s not welcomed with open arms. In fact, if we are being honest, most times when the idea of change is presented we close ourselves off, clinging to our safety nets, habits, and comfort zones with white-knuckled grip. Humans are creatures of habit. If you are anything like me, I love my routine. Every morning starts with a cup of coffee, a devotion, and some quiet, meditative moments. I schedule out my days weeks in advance. I start my semester off by taking all of my syllabi and writing down in my agenda every due date, all of my exam times, and every professor’s office hours. I write everything down because I don’t like surprises.

Life is funny though because life loves surprises.

Just as comfort starts to sink in, life has a habit of throwing curve balls. This past winter, I had finally mastered the art of college, or at least I felt like I knew what I was doing. I had my study habits down, classes were going well, and for the first time since entering college, I found myself in a “dang, look at me go” state of mind. *Cue “This Girl is on Fire” by Alicia Keys*

Then entered 2020.

Just when I was getting most comfortable in my day-to-day routines, life demanded change. If years are like raindrops, 2020 has been a hurricane. I don’t think I need to go into the specifics of the challenges of 2020 because we have all endured them in one way or another. On December 31st my mom sat down my siblings and I. She had gotten us life planners for the upcoming year. This was a physical place to write down our goals, things we hoped to do, see, or experience, and what we wanted the upcoming year to look like. Now, almost 11 months into 2020, I can say that I was able to accomplish 5 of the 20 things I wrote down on December 31st. However looking back now, I wonder if the circumstances really did keep me from accomplishing those goals, or if the circumstances offered me an excuse to get out of being disciplined enough to accomplish those goals. If I am being honest, I think the latter is true.

I often found myself stuck on the things I couldn’t change, rather than embracing the things I could. I am only 20 years old. My experience is limited, my perspective is narrow, and my life is still in it’s sapling stages. However, when I look back at my life thus far, I see that most of my prosperity stemmed from moments that seemed most full of obscurity. Failure to recognize opportunity for growth makes for a comfortable, stagnant life. Obscure is a pretty doggone good word to describe 2020, but If I allow myself to look close enough I can see traces of prosperity that have emerged from this unexpected year.

2020 has taught me to be more compassionate, understanding and adaptable. It brought me greater appreciation for the simple pleasures in life like hugging a friend or smiling to a stranger. It highlighted the importance of mental health, friendships, family, and connection.

See, when we focus on the things that are right in front of us, rather than the big picture, life can get really heavy. Early in the year I found myself weighed down by the issues of sickness, race, politics, and suffering. While every one of these issues hold considerate significance, they weren’t mine to carry alone. Reaching out in your struggles has tremendous payoff; new perspectives are brought to light, positivity has a chance to emerge, and the opportunity for growth is brought to the table.

2020 has demanded change and, for most of us, it’s been pretty uncomfortable, but change isn’t always a bad thing. I believe that adaptability is one of the greatest qualities that set a person up for success. Adaptability is what you do with changing circumstances, unsteady ground, and uncertain times. How are you going to cope with your struggles? Are you going to let them define you, or are you willing to adapt and press forward? It is my challenge to you to embrace your next obstacle with courage. Challenge yourself to seek out the opportunity for prosperity. Write down what you’ve learned from your most adverse moments so that your future self can look back at obstacles overcome and see just how strong you are.

Life loves change. I am not naive to the fact that change is probably always going to be uncomfortable, but when you put on a new perspective and challenge yourself to see change as opportunities rather than obstacles, you might just surprise yourself in what your capable of.