"Be the change that you wish to see in this world," once stated Gandhi, the world renowned peacemaker. Change is inevitable in a society filled with flaws, sin, and corruption, and this change must first be commenced by the individual. Although change creates a frightening image of a dark tunnel without light on the other side to many people, it often leads to eventual good with a flashlight in hand—tenacity and encouragement. The most intimidating life changing watershed of my life was the day I transferred to another high school; to make matters worse, my old school consisted of a completely different social arena than that of my new school. However, as time moved on I came to understand the meaning behind the repeated maxim: "time heals." I came to learn a lot about myself from a different perspective and I have matured extensively through my experiences. Change is very scary at first, but it is crucial to the development of both the individual and society as a whole.
The scariest stage of change is when one knows it is going to happen before it actually does.
“We’re moving?!” I shockingly asked my mother.
To my astonishment, she was chosen out of twenty others to be given a grant to rent a house in Potomac, Maryland—one of the most opulent cities in the country. At that instant, my mind played through a series of school memories. My school was not top-ranking, privileged, or speckled with talented youth; however, I could not bring myself to imagine walking as worry-free and nonchalantly through the halls of a school that was not mine. I was comfortable at my current school and I grimaced at the thought of losing that sense of security. After all, everyone at school new me—even people I didn’t know knew me. My teachers were always there to advise me, and I had a good reputation on the lacrosse team. It bewildered me to even think of leaving behind the environment I’ve grown so used to. Then, my mother shattered my peace with familiarity by introducing unfamiliar school colors, unseen faces, and the dreaded cliques every teenager must familiarize themselves with in order to avoid “joining the wrong group.” The days leading up to the big change in my life were utter torture.
Soon enough, the day had come—the first day of school. I was as timorous as an innocent person about to be falsely put to execution.
“Don’t worry so much! You’ll make friends in no time!” my mother encouraged before I walked through the doors of the unknown.
First period, to my surprise, was not as bad as I apprehended it to be; however, I was still a bit cynical. I fashioned the same evaluation for the rest of my classes. When it was time for lunch, the fear came back in a rush. Being shy to a fault, this social hour was my time to have a character change and also, to my trepidation, be the first to start a conversation. Once I began to actively socialize with my peers, though, I increasingly gained confidence in myself because I was gradually overcoming one of my greatest weaknesses. As the year flew by, I had created a new circle of friends, teachers, and sports team members that restored the comfort I thought I left behind at my old school. Most importantly, I became stronger as a person due to the adversities I overcame in spite of change.
Overall, what motivates change is the endeavor to create a lasting impact on the weaknesses of society. It is through change that we learn, grow, and build upon our currently weak, though comfortable, state of being.