Girl You’ve Changed…Really??? Thanks For Noticing

I used to think that when people told me that I have changed, it was a negative thing. As I get older, I have come to realize that change is hard but it is also good. Here are some of the things I have experienced on my road to change that some of you may be able to relate to:

YOUR SQUAD LOOKS DIFFERENT:

I don’t know about you, but when I look back over the last 10 years of my life, some of the people who I was constantly around or in contact with are not around as much. On the surface this may look like a bad thing and in the beginning it may even be a hurtful thing; but bae-bae it sure is eye-opening. God has a way of removing certain people in your life at certain times in your life in order for you to grow as a person. Sometimes these squad shifts happen unexpectedly and without warning. It can be a gradual change, or an abrupt one, the important thing here is to look at the entire picture. Life happens; career changes, family dynamics change, priorities change. All of these elements will cause changes in the groups of people you choose to surround yourself with. Sometimes we overlook the fact that we are not the only ones who are changing, so don’t ever think that you are the sole the reason a relationship changes.

YOUR WEEKEND ACTIVITIES CHANGE:

The correlation between your squad changes and how you spend your free time becomes an obvious sign that you are changing. You no longer want to go out to the club until the wee hours of the morning and drink shots all night. You would much rather be having brunch with unlimited mimosas and attending day parties. LOL You find that taking a relaxing mini vacay is way more fun than being a crowded room with loud music and drunk people. I love happy hour more than the next person but I do know that between the months of August and December my Friday nights belong to high school football games and cheer competitions. These types of activity changes will also cause you to be around a different group of people which in turn relates to your squad changes. When your atmosphere changes so will the people in those places. Common interest creates bonds and if you lose interest in a certain activity you remove yourself, therefore having one less thing in common. It’s a chain reaction.

YOUR ATTITUDE CHANGES:

I hate when people say to me, “why don’t you act like you normally act?” The answer to that question is because your actions required a different response. When people are used to you acting a certain way in situations and you deter from that action, it becomes a shock to them. At some point in your life you will act “out of character” and that is perfectly ok. Sometimes it’s necessary for others to see that it is not ok to take you for granted. Flipping the script will allow others to recognize that either you are tired of being that person or that you are changing as a person. They can either love it or leave it alone, but either way it becomes a learning opportunity for everyone. For example, I’m usually the one who takes the initiative to check on others. Whether it’s a text or a call, letting others know I am thinking about them comes naturally to me. There comes a time when I just want someone to say “hey girl just thinking about you”. So when people become accustomed to you always reaching out and then you don’t for some reason, they automatically think you are “acting funny” when the reality you could be going through your own life changes. For me it’s because I’m tired of being taken for granted and I chose to focus my energy on those who appreciate me. It’s not that I think of them less, it’s that I started to appreciate my own worth.

The bottom line is if you are still doing the same things you were doing 10 years ago, you are not growing. The cliché saying of reason, season, lifetime is true. Your growth process will help weed out who belongs in which category. We grow apart from people, places and things. Life leads us down different paths in life and we must remember that not everything or everyone is meant to travel those paths with us. Trust Gods process, follow your gut, be true to yourself and most importantly...

LIVE BLOUNT-ly!