Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
We crave for things to stop changing, we wish that things would never change. But if we got what we wanted, there are so many things that are better, that we would never, ever know about.
C. JoyBell C.
We live in an ocean of change.
Change comes in waves: some bigger, some smaller.
From time to time, we are hit with a tsunami.
A few recent ones were the invention of the smartphone, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the widespread use of Zoom meetings.
While many enjoy surfing the big waves, the main goal in a tsunami is to survive.
Some people decide to get away from the ocean and live off-grid on the side of a mountain.
We know about them because we watch their YouTube videos and live streams.
Change is unavoidable.
Yet we have the fantasy that, if we could just get things organized in their proper place, then we could live in peace and tranquility.
It takes a lot of energy to keep things the same.
Think of lawns, haircuts, and shiny new cars.
A better strategy would be to “turn and face the strange.”
Change is often disruptive.
But it always brings with it opportunity.
The Great Chicago Fire was a disaster, but it created the opportunity for Chicago to become the birthplace of the skyscraper.
It is not always clear whether a particular change is good or bad.
Usually, it is both.
We can waste our energy fighting the change.
Or we can try to anticipate the risks and opportunities that come in its wake.
Even here we must be careful.
We should think about anticipating, not predicting.
The thing about change is that it keeps changing.
There are two pitfalls here.
The first is that we waste a lot of time over preparing for something that was never going to happen.
The second pitfall is more dangerous.
If we get locked into our predictions, we can easily miss the new risks and opportunities that come along.
The key is to stay alert and flexible.
We can surf the waves of change, or we can be swept out to sea by the undertow.
Now available at Amazon: The Courageous Heart: Wisdom for Difficult Times in paperback and eBook.
