We meet someone after a long time, and the first thing we say is, "You have changed a lot."
We say it so easily. But have we ever paused to ask — what do we actually mean by change? And here's a stranger question: do we even see ourselves the way others see us? Or are we watching our own life through a completely different lens?
We are changing every moment - Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. All the time. And the reason is simple — our daily experiences, our struggles, our small wins, our thoughts, everything happening around us, and more importantly, everything happening within us — all of it shapes us, quietly, every single day.
Now, whether this change means we're evolving — that's a completely different question. Change is guaranteed. Growth is not. But one thing is 100% true: we are changing, whether we notice it or not.
The question worth asking yourself
Next time you catch yourself reflecting, try this: after observing your own journey, how do you actually feel about the change? Better? Worse? Somewhere in between?
If I ask this of myself, honestly — I have mixed feelings.
I have become more mature. A little less emotional. Less socialised than I used to be. Somewhere along the way, I became a reader and a writer. So when I look at myself, I see a mix — some changes I'd call positive, some I'd call negative. But even that label — good or bad — depends entirely on the situation, and on who's looking.
What you feel about yourself matters more than what anyone else says
This is the part I keep coming back to. Not what others notice when they say "you've changed" — but what I feel when I sit with my own change.
I often remind myself: I am doing what I can do, and I am good at it. That one thought has helped me stand up again, every single time I've hit a low point. I count my wins. I feel gratitude for whatever I have, and for whatever I am capable of doing right now, in this moment.
That's not a small thing. That's the anchor.
Over to you
If your journey feels anything like mine — a mix of becoming stronger in some ways and softer in others, more capable but maybe a little more guarded — I'd love to hear it. And if your journey looks completely different, I'd love to hear that too.
So — when someone tells you that you've changed, what do you say back? And more importantly, what do you think when you look at yourself?
If you like to listen, you can listen to the podcast on the same topic over here.