Guest Editor: Tyla Hudspeth–My 2 cents how to embrace change

Guest Editor Tyla Hudspeth, September 26, 2013

I’m about the most consistently inconsistent person you will ever meet.

My brain just works like that. Heck, my body even works like that.

Just this past year, I’ve fluctuated roughly 30 pounds, run my seventh (this really is my last) marathon, competed in a body-building competition and let’s not even talk about my shoulder-length haircut. These are all just a few of the things I said I’d never do.

But, hey, things changed.

I think we’ve all been conditioned to think we must pick a certain lifestyle, career, goal or hobby and what we pick will define us for life. We carry around these titles like “runner,” “teacher” or “vegetarian” and then we feel pressure to uphold our label. I believe this pressure is why change has gotten a bad reputation.

Have you ever thought about how versatile change is? I mean you can literally change your thought, your direction, your attitude or latitude, jobs, clothes, diapers; you can see change, make change, change things, deny change. You can focus on it, reward it, measure it, go through it — well you get the point. It is limitless and is forever evolving. As they say, it’s the only thing that stays the same.

Regardless of how you experience it, one thing is for sure, you’d better accept it. I like the positive spin Marilyn Monroe put on change when she said, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

I learned early on as a coach’s wife that I’d better be pretty adaptable. At a moment’s notice, pretty much everything in your life can change.

In medieval times, a “moment” was a specific measure of time equal to 90 seconds. I’ll agree, that’s about how fast change can happen. It can be anything from a phone call to a game-winning field goal.

Although it may have taken me some time, I’ve finally made peace with the concept that change always leads to good. Although it may have originated from a negative event, it will eventually lead to something good. It’s just a temporary springboard to take you to a better place, physically, emotionally or mentally.

Change is always present around the holidays for my family. Each occasion is different and usually planned within a 48-hour window, depending upon and revolving around a game or practice. We sacrifice family tradition in order to build football tradition. I embrace the uncertainty because after all, predictability is boring, right? That is, unless you’ve got money on this Saturday’s game. Even the four seasons are different for us. We experience recruiting season, spring ball, the off-season (which is imaginary) and football season.

There is a lot of change taking place around Lafayette right now. A heightened sense of excitement around our football program and the anticipation of a chill in the air let us know a change is brewing. A recent reveal of the university’s master plan is certain to let people know that we are ready for change. Although the world’s perspective of our home team and reputation might be changing, one thing that I’ve noticed that seems to be staying pretty consistent is the Ragin’ Cajuns’ winning record.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

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