People can and do change.  I have changed.  There are two possible causes of change, as best I can tell.

People change when they are forced to change.  A single person marries, and is forced to adopt new habits to live in harmony with the spouse.

People change when they force change on themselves.  A person who struggles with addiction forces a healthy lifestyle change to avoid an untimely demise.

The difference in change from outside influence or from inside the person is significant.  Outside change is most often temporary.  Inside change is long lived.  Outside change is adopted.  Inside change is adapted.  Outside change can be revolutionary.  Inside change requires an evolution.

As a person lives through each stage of life, changes occur differently.  In younger years, change is required, first by parents, then by teachers, then by employers.  In later years, change is chosen by the individual, most often to bring happiness, but at times, to eliminate emotional pain.

We frequently want to avoid change.  We enjoy regularity and ritual. We languish in our unchanging lives, at times.

We do seek, however, elation and energy when a change is made. We lead ourselves to a new life when we initiate change.

In our frailty, we change to survive.  In our weakness, we change to become strong.  In our pain, we change to live in peace.  In our sadness, we change to bring a smile.

Those who cannot accept or initiate change find life challenging.  But all of us desire to live as we believe ourselves to be, free from change.  

Change is our only hope to actually be who we can be.