One hundred years after women gained the right to vote, a woman has been elected to serve in the second highest position in our nation. Not just any woman – a Black and Indian woman, a child of immigrants, a matriarch of a blended family, a graduate of a historically Black university, and my sorority sister.

I’d like to believe there are women around the world, young and old alike, moved by witnessing such history, like I was. I dare to say, a historical moment we probably never thought we’d witness in our lifetime. As such, I couldn’t help but think about one thing that is constant in life no matter how much time passes – change.

Change often frightens people. It’s a departure from what is comfortable, familiar, or known. It often causes people to avoid trying something new, or keeps them from following their dreams. Most times, change is met with resistance. People tend to fight back because they fear the unknown. I would suggest the fear exists even when the change appears to be for something better than what a person already has, simply because it’s different.

How you see change is important on the journey to becoming the best version of yourself. While some change will hurt, embracing change and seeing it as an opportunity can empower you. Your ability to replace fear with optimism and hope can serve to give you the courage to create the change you seek in your life, or accept the change happening in your life without your permission.

Change is inevitable, and I prefer to help create it for the good of myself and others. Change brings new opportunity. It can push you to realize your dreams, and as a result, birth dreams in others. While there is still much work to be done for women’s rights, imagine if no one ever thought to create change for us. It is our responsibility to continue the work to create the change that is necessary to move us forward and to empower other women and little girls for generations to come. It’s bigger than us!