I’ve mentioned before that I hate change (and I’m probably not in the minority there). I talked about my search for another job, possibly in teaching. Well, I found something a few months back (a paraprofessional), something to give me a little experience in teaching without actually teaching while giving me a feel for the work and deciding if it’s actually something I want to pursue.

The first couple of months after being offered the job I was relieved. I had it and a while to adjust to the idea of not working in my pajamas (which is a huge adjustment. Do you know the last time I had to buy business casual clothes? Never!  went from Beehive—jeans—to freelance writing—pajamas, jeans, workout clothes. I had to buy clothes, and I hate clothes shopping. Loathe it entirely). Then time started to pass, and I started to get scared. Now I have about 10 days, and my anxiety is at high(ish) levels. I mean, aside from the clothes (which I only just bought), there are the people. Social skills stagnate when you work from home. Plus, I’m an introverted extrovert. Which is just a fancy way to say that I’m best in small groups; and I’m quiet at first. I do love kids though; that’s a huge benefit.

So here I am wondering what I (and you!) can do when we’re afraid of change:

• Understand your fears. Don’t be afraid to delve deep. You might be able to talk your fears down using logic.
• Be prepared. Use your knowledge of your fears to prepare yourself as much as possible for what’s to come.
• Get perspective. Ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen. Embarrassment? Stress? And then remind yourself that there are people out there experiencing the exact same thing. You’re not alone.
• Distract yourself. When there’s nothing else you can do, have fun, be happy, do good. Distract yourself with good works. You’re fears will look small after helping someone else.
• Buoy yourself up. I read the scriptures, listen to General Conference talks, and read inspiring quotes.
• Find your courage. Just do it. One small step, and you’ll be officially past the threshold. That one breathless moment is what stands between the before and the after of change, and then you can go from focusing on fear to focusing on adjusting to the newness.

Change is scary, but it’s not the end of your world. Fear is the opposite of faith; have faith in yourself, in your world, in your beliefs. Be brave, be bold, and be happy.

Choose Joy.

—A