Conflict isn’t a bad thing, it’s a GREAT thing. Those who avoid conflict just create more and more conflict. Conflict avoidant people drive everybody around them crazy!
Or as my professor would say, “Lean into the tension!”
Change is how our muscles grow and how a community that is slowing caving in on itself is revitalized and reinvigorated. Yet, for some reason our society and our culture have become changephobics. It doesn’t matter what it is that is changing; it’s the change that is frightening.
I understand that there comes a point in a person’s life and career where he or she has hit their stride, has stayed the course to the point of finally feeling comfortable and finally fitting in and that’s to be lauded, but there has to be a healthy sense of self when finding that stride or that comfortable zone is not encouraging, it’s daunting.
It’s when that place that you thought you always wanted to get to, whether that be professionally or personally becomes daunting that you begin to creep your way into to becoming changephobic. You aren’t really happy with where you are, but you know (at least in part) where you are, so you would just rather everything stay the same until you figure out what’s going on.
Living as a changephobic and doing everything in your power to maintain the status quo isn’t going to make you happy, but then again, you’ve already discovered that I imagine.