Change is arguably one of the most uncomfortable things to go through. No matter how well you try to prepare yourself for it, the weight of uncertainty that gets mixed up with our fear is what makes so many of us insusceptible to the idea of doing something differently. We give too much value to what we’ve become accustomed to, and although this is not entirely something to be too worried about, I think it’s something that we should be mindful about. The circumstances of our lives within this past year up until the present have given us more than enough change than we could’ve expected to carry. Its as if we have unconsciously been forced to change一 our habits, ideals, and all the way up to our goals, all because there are way too many factors affecting the situation of the present that are ultimately out of our control. There is nothing to do but adapt. I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat, but it hasn’t been easy, and it hasn’t been getting any easier. Pushing aside the fact that this pandemic has coerced us into evolving faster than we’ve ever done before, there is a beauty in the uncertainty that we are handed. There is beauty in change. But the most important realization we should remember is that there is freedom in change.

Indeed, not all changes we go through may be positive from the beginning. But the thing about change giving us a sense of freedom is the way we decide to take action either during or after it takes place. Anything different that enters our lives is an opportunity rather than a curse, and sometimes it takes us longer to realize that than we would expect. But change, no matter how drastic, is what frees us. It frees us from our past selves, bringing forth new ideas and  above all, a new truth一 the truth we need from ourselves, from the people that surround us, and from the world. It’s interesting to think that one of the most notable quotes about freedom and the truth actually comes from the Bible. Jesus said in John 8:32, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Freedom is knowing your truth一 welcoming it, living it, speaking it, and accepting it to be able to know what action to take.

But this action doesn’t necessarily have to be as big as starting a whole revolution against a greater cause or becoming the next greatest self-help guru. The action towards the freedom you want to attain starts small, and it can start with something as little as our mindset.

Changes in perspective, as the Anggulo theme presents, can have a much larger impact on the world than you would expect. Reprogramming the way you perceive your surroundings, having more empathy, making compelling decisions一 all of these can help you help others in the long run. There is power in your truth, regardless of how shallow it may seem to you or to others. It has the power to set not just yourself, but those who are in the shadows, free from what constrains them. We, at OFTP, hope that our personal reflections can sway you towards finding your own light and pursuing the roads not taken by those who are waiting for the right time and extra push to face reality. This is our ode to the truth we wish to uphold: that we must be open to change, and that these changes have the ability to free us.

MONIQUE