Changing Who You Are

This sign displays a fascinating quote that celebrates the essence of living with curiosity. It teaches one of the most meaningful lessons we can learn.

Today, at 59, I’m not the same person I was at age 20, 30, 40, or 50. Hopefully, you’re not either. That’s a good thing. Not that everything I believed years ago was wrong, but as I experienced more of life, as I traveled to new cities and countries, and as I shared thoughts with others (and more importantly I read new things and listened) I came to realize so many new things I didn’t know before. Slowly, but surely, I evolved. And, I continue to evolve.

Imagine being stuck in the same belief system for your entire life. The same religion. The same political beliefs. The same biases. The same prejudices. Think of the stifling trap of being stubbornly convinced that your earlier outlook on politics, culture, spirituality, and science remains frozen in time, closed to inevitable changes that happen around you, isolated from people who are different and think differently, imprisoned by stubborn, myopic, xenophobic, jingoistic convictions. Imagine never leaving the same tribe. How sad. Unfortunately, this is way too common.

Moreover, change and growth aren’t just about what we believe. It can also be about what we enjoy. The same goes for food and music and likes and loves and the things we’re attracted to. These wonderful blossoms of life not only might change — in fact, they SHOULD change.

If you’re not the same person now as when you are younger — congratulations. Embrace that. We must welcome change. Celebrate it. Be proud to stand tall and admit, “I changed my mind about something.” Take pride in conveying you may have been wrong in the past. That’s not a weakness. That’s a virtue.

It means you’re open-minded. It means you’ve lived and you’re living a full life.