How Did I Change?
Change is not something that happened to me by accident. It was a deliberate, consistent effort rooted in my desire to learn and grow. I changed because staying the same was never an option. I looked around and saw that stagnation was not a path I was willing to walk. I am driven to create, to apply myself, not just for my own good, but for the betterment of others. There is no greater joy than witnessing someone transform for the better and knowing I played a role in that process. I am willing and eager to share what I have learned about change because I believe in its power.
For years, I was an expert at over-intellectualizing, living inside my head. I overreacted to everything around me, and was a victim of my circumstances and environment. It wasn’t until I embraced experiential work that I began to shift.
My work with Bill was instrumental in this transformation. He provided a space where I could try new things, connect in ways I never had before. When you grow up without deep connection, the idea of it can be terrifying. But Bill helped me fire new neurons, create new pathways, and ultimately, change.
The shift came when I stopped living in the past, stopped being controlled by familiar emotions rooted in stress. Instead, I learned to observe my life without being trapped by those emotions. I realized that my emotions were merely a record of my past experiences, and if I continued to let them dictate my reality, I would remain stuck. But if my personality creates my personal reality, then by changing my thoughts and emotions, I could change my world. So, I became the creator of my own life.
Research supports this idea: when I change, everything around me changes. My emotions, my reactions, my habits—all of these things influence my reality. So, if I want an amazing and exciting future, I have to stop living in the emotional residues of the past. I have to get out of my own way.
We are creatures of habit, mostly reacting to the stimuli around us. But what if we stepped back? What if we drastically limited the stimuli bombarding our nervous system? The modern world places an overwhelming demand on our brain and body—an ancient system still wired for survival in a much simpler environment. Now, we are exposed to global tragedies in real time, a constant flood of information that our minds were never designed to handle. The result? Rising levels of anxiety and depression, particularly among young people.
There is an endless competition for our attention. If I allow my mind to run unchecked, it can create terrifying scenarios that trigger emotions as if those fears were happening in real-time. But I have learned that I can reclaim my attention. I can step back from the chaos and choose what I allow into my consciousness.
This week, I found myself deeply moved by Walt Whitman’s words:
The past and present wilt—I have fill’d them, emptied them.
And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.
Listener up there! what have you to confide to me?
Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening,
(Talk honestly, no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.)
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
I concentrate toward them that are nigh, I wait on the door-slab.
Who has done his day’s work? who will soonest be through with his supper?
Who wishes to walk with me?
Will you speak before I am gone? will you prove already too late?
For the first time, I can hold my contradictions with loving awareness. I can see that the parts of me that disagree, that wrestle with each other, are all deserving of love. Change is not about erasing those contradictions; it’s about embracing them.
My job is not to be another distraction in a world filled with them. My job is to be the warmth that calls forth growth, the breeze that carries renewal, the rain that nourishes. In a world designed to steal attention, my purpose is to give it back—to myself and to others—so that we, in our multitudes, can fully awaken to who we are meant to be.
Now, I invite you to take a step back and ask yourself: What changes do you need to make? What habits, thought patterns, or emotional ties are keeping you stuck? If I can change, so can you. It starts with awareness, a willingness to examine your reality, and the courage to take even the smallest step toward transformation.
Take a moment today to reclaim your attention. Put down your phone, breathe deeply, and tune into yourself. What is calling to you? What part of your life needs your care and intention? Change is not about waiting for the right moment—it’s about creating it. You have the power to shift, to grow, and to become the person you are meant to be. The time to start is now.
Peace my friends,
~Travis
