Change is at every turn in life. While each situation presents unique obstacles, the one constant is change. There’s no real way around it. If you’re trying to get from point A to point B, it’s inherent to the process. Life then becomes either a matter of prolonging the inevitable change and drawing it out over an extended period of time, or ripping the Band-Aid off and embracing it. 

Being in my mid-20s, I’ve always been told that I have time to sort things out. While considering major changes or life decisions, the standard advice is, “Don’t worry, you have time.” The problem is that A) This only serves to justify avoiding change and B) No one really knows if you “have time.” Most, including myself, are averse to change and will often look for any excuse to avoid it. This advice offers an outlet for exactly that.

If you approach a situation with the “I have time” or “I’m not quite ready” mindset, you’ll never have the courage to do what it takes. The popular quote by Lemony Snicket holds true, “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting the rest of our lives.” Sometimes you have to take the plunge and figure it out as you go. Change is difficult. Chances are you will never feel 100 percent prepared. It’s much easier to stay within your comfort zone; it offers a safety net, something familiar. However the road to happiness and fulfillment lies beyond these confines.

It’s important to recognize that change is a good thing and the only way forward. It’s what ignites our senses and makes us feel alive. We strive to achieve our dreams, which are, by their very definition, beyond our immediate grasp. Otherwise, reaching them would be as easy as walking out the front door. To realize an aspiration or a goal is to confront the change that a situation demands and adapt.

Is there risk? Absolutely. However, we tend to build up the risk associated with change to be greater than it actually is. Humans are resourceful. The anticipation is often worse than the act itself. Once we find the courage to take the initial step and give it a fair shot, it’s never as difficult as it once seemed. When you weigh the options, the alternative is much riskier; to sit by in fear of change and live in a perpetual state of familiarity, plagued by a humble existence. When you break it down, it becomes a simple choice of daring to live or simply exist.

What’s the worst that could happen? You realize you made the wrong move and have to take a step back to reassess which direction to go? You can always return to the familiar if you make a wrong decision, but it’s important to give change a fair shake.

Those who achieve greatness in any realm of life are eager to confront the challenges presented by change and evolve to meet those demands. It’s a state of constant adaptation. In many ways, life is determined by the ways in which we embrace this. It’s easy to go through the motions and just exist, but there are already enough people on that path. Dare to live.