The Art of Changing by Kylie

The Art of Changing by Kylie - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Hello, my name is Kylie and I am just finishing up my freshman year in college. Today, I am here to talk to you about a topic that is very important to me – the art of changing. This is the speech that I wish someone would have given me in high school, a time when just hearing the word "change" would send a shiver down my spine. However, over time, I have come to find that a person going through change is a lot like a flower being planted. This is the message I hope you will understand and keep with you after hearing what I have to say. I want to share the good, the bad, and the learning that comes with a major life change.
Change is a good thing! Yes, many people will tell you that. No, it is not easy to believe. However, with experience and time, you will find that change is exactly what it takes to grow. If life stayed the same all of the time there would be no progress and no excitement. When in doubt remind yourself that your body reacts the same way to stress or fear as it does to excitement. If you channel your energy into telling yourself that you’re excited for all of the new opportunities that life is handing you, instead of terrified of the unknown, you might just start to believe it! This will allow you to be brave enough to take chances, go for what you want, and embrace the positivity of change that life has dealt you.
Unfortunately, with good there often comes a tinge of bad. This is true with change as well. Change can be frightening and people do not always make the best decisions when scared or under a great deal of pressure. Everyone makes mistakes and, hopefully, these teach us some of the best lessons. With major life change, like going to college, mistakes are bound to happen but this is the best time in life to make them! Yes, it is bad as it happens, but what truly matters is how we handle these bumps in the road and if we allow them to develop us into a better version of ourselves. This is the real beauty of change.
Whether positive or negative one thing is certain about change – it teaches us the most valuable life lessons. Oftentimes, there are things you are only able to learn through first-hand experience. Living on your own, making your own decisions, and growing up all at once all fall under this category. These are things that we dream of as kids, think we know as teenagers, but never fully understand until we are thrown into it as adults. Major changes can be seen as opportunities to learn regardless of how they make you feel in the moment. Scary, excited, unsure, passionate, overwhelmed, and angry are all extreme emotions that change brings on as life evolves and as you mature. However, these are the same extremes that we carry with us throughout or lives, and the extremes that bring us the most cherished memories.
I’ve read a quote many times across the social media platform of Pinterest saying to “bloom where you are planted”. While I was never able to find the original source of this quote, it truly spoke me. We cannot always control where we are in life or the cards that have been dealt to us, but we can actively choose to embrace the change and allow ourselves to flourish as best we can regardless of the circumstances. It is through this that change should not be seen as a terrifying reality, but as an exciting occasion for adventure. Yes, change can be good, bad, or just one big lesson, but it becomes an art that is an essential part to the human experience. So go out, embrace your future, seize new opportunities, make mistakes, and learn throughout life. Above all, always look at change as a chance to bloom where life plants you.