Change: Good or Bad?

Is change good or bad? If we are honest with ourselves, this question elevates our blood pressure, as opinions vary depending on our experiences.

The word “change” reminds us of the stress and discomfort associated with its outcomes, but what if I told you that change is neither good nor bad and that change is inherently non-threatening because we are naturally conditioned for it?

Let’s approach the question of change from an evolutionary standpoint. If you are familiar with Darwin’s theory of evolution, then you have a notion that change is a constant in nature, and while some of these changes take several hundred years to take effect, it is change nonetheless. You might say animals have no choice because they have to accept change in order to survive, and you would be correct. However, are we not part of the animal kingdom, and haven’t we continued to evolve from early, more limited primate species to where we are today, still in a state of change?

Most of us have referred to ourselves as creatures of habit, but by doing this we subconsciously give ourselves permission to avoid change and cling to routines that may have once proven successful but are no longer.  

As I stated before, we are conditioned for change and the ability to flourish in it. Had our species accepted the status quo, perhaps today there would not be cures for many diseases, nor would discoveries, such as atomic energy, that have altered the course of humanity both for better and for worse have occurred.

The Great Depression was a sobering moment in the early part of the last century, and yet we managed to create another one in 2008. The repercussions of this most recent depression were felt worldwide, and we are still learning to maneuver in this pseudo-new economy.

To stay informed about our ever-changing economy, we analyze projections of the GDP and other economic data provided to us daily by the media. I remember days when other negative news permeated the airwaves in order to impact ratings, so one can say that the news industry has adapted and changed to provide us with this data to increase their ratings and advertising prices.

Many companies have flourished while others have floundered, but how each company embraced change and the speed with which they adopted new productive practices has made a world of difference.

For example, the store Borders has gone extinct. Many of us enjoyed sitting in Borders, sipping coffee and embracing the opportunity to relax, nourish our mind and save some money while reading books we almost never purchased. Border’s library atmosphere backfired on them. With a fraught economy, their business model was their demise as consumers flocked to Borders to spend on cafeteria food instead of books.

On the other hand Amazon, which started as a book business and now has a distribution network and a solid IT platform, is a booming business despite predictions that print media would fade away. Their diversification along with a vision of change from founder Jeff Bezos proved pivotal in Amazon’s growth.

Although change is the one thing we resist the most, it is the one constant that moves us to improve, evolve and most importantly, whether we win or lose, it moves us forward.

Change resistance is the stressor, not the change itself. So stop fighting it, and go change something. After all, it’s in your nature.