A life of depth and meaning requires that we die many times over in order to be reborn as better versions of ourselves.
There will be times in our lives when we realize that the beliefs and behaviors we have used to survive up until this point will take us no further.
They will only hold us back.
They will weigh us down and keep us from fulfilling our potential.
In these moments, we have to choose between life and death, between comfort and risk.
The only risk in staying the same is that we stay the same.
If we do nothing, if we do not change, nothing will change.
If we continue to do what we have always done, we will continue to be who we have always been.
On the other hand, if we acknowledge that we can do better, that we are not who we want to be, and that something must change in order for us to grow and progress, our path will not be easy.
We will have to face our fears and risk failure.
Our old selves will have to die in order for our new selves to be born out of the ashes.
And, with all of this, there is no guarantee that our life will improve.
Just because we change does not mean that the world around us will as well.
In fact, we may experience hostility from those around us for setting a higher standard for ourselves, for demanding more from ourselves, and for not settling for what was once perceived as good enough.
We will, at times, be lonely and afraid as we face the death of our old selves and our old lives.
This is the price we must pay, however, if we want to see what is on the other side of where we are now.
If this seems too high a price to pay, perhaps we have not yet suffered enough.
No one changes because it is the easy thing to do.
We do so because we have no other choice.