It's Not All Bad - a Word on Change

Change.

Quite possibly the most despised word in the English language, yet one we embrace, in one form or another, every moment of every day. There seems to be a lot of it going on at the moment.

The first thing we do when we finally get home is get out of work clothes by changing into something more comfortable. We never cease of hearing or saying that we can’t wait for the next chance we’ll get to have a change of scenery and steal away on holiday. When things at work are going belly up, the first thing we scream for is change of leadership.?

Babies grow and change into adults, able to fend for themselves; if we didn’t, we’d surely die. We are all here - living, working, developing - because we changed. I am sure we would all agree, however, that the real joy in life comes because of change we choose to make, rather than change that is thrust upon us. Some choose to nurture talents as musicians, artists, dancers, scientists, sportspeople, writers or teachers. At some point, many of us will change careers, hobbies, houses and cars, partners and religions, all in the pursuit of happiness.?

Some changes are joyous and welcomed; some are heart-wrenching and agonising. So what is the difference between the change that we welcome and the change that we avoid at all costs? Only the need to change our perspective. It seems if we procrastinate change until a time of necessity, we merely survive. If we embrace change out of choice, we thrive.

A particular species of crow has learned this lesson. Trying to crack a delicious nut to eat is a challenge. Even dropping it from a great height does not always work. But cars do, so the crow has learned to leave the nut in the path of traffic until a car runs over it, breaking it apart. Problem: how do you get the nut without being run over? Solution: drop it on a pedestrian crossing and wait until the lights change.

The crow does not need the nut for mere survival, but his exercise of his power to invoke change has made his life more enriching and rewarding.

When we choose to initiate positive change, we prosper more than our counterparts. There is an old proverb: “Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time”. You laugh because you cognitively comprehend the statement, that there is work involved in attempting to realise ambition. You also laugh because you are picturing how ridiculous one would look standing around with a mouth wide open. Yet at some time, in some way, each of us will do just that - stand around, sometimes for a painfully long time, with mouth wide open and gazing at the heavens, anticipating a result we have invested no effort into achieving.?

They say that knowledge is power, but the power to what? The power to act, to invoke change. If being perfect in knowledge is being perfect in power, then surely ignorance must be anything but bliss, and the casual “I don’t know” shrug must be the ultimate display of weakness.

Let this phrase “I don’t know” never again be a robotic, soulless response. Let it never again be an excuse, a diversion or rationalisation for zero effort. Let it only be a phrase we use when we are genuinely lacking all the answers, but are willing, eager and anxious to get them.

A story is told that? proud young man once approached Socrates, seeking wisdom. Socrates led him down to the sea and took him into the water. Suddenly, Socrates put his hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. When he felt the young man begin to struggle and fight beneath his hands, Socrates let him up, gasping for breath.?

“What do you want?”?

“Air!” the young man yelled. “I need air!”??

“When you want wisdom as much as you have just wanted air, then you will begin to find wisdom.”?

They say a problem begins to be solved when the pain of the problem becomes worse than the pain of the solution. Public speaking was a huge problem to me until the pain of missed opportunities, relationships and experiences became even greater and I couldn’t sit by any longer.

Guaranteed, there are changes in life you want to make but you might be deluded by doubt, frozen by fear or anchored by anxiety or apprehension. Maybe you’re just bone idle. Perhaps you are lost in the delirium of distractions, believing that if you keep busy enough, the need for change will just float away and be gone, never to return. Rest assured, that will never be the case. Perhaps deep down, you know it’s time to take control of life rather than constantly confronting the feeling that it has control of you.

I can also suggest that whilst reading this, you’ve seen it. You know at least one area of your life in which you’ve been contemplating change, but procrastinating it. Perhaps you’ve even tasted the feelings those changes will bring, and seen the faces of those people that these changes will affect for the better. You’ve probably even said in your mind “That would be a welcome change”.?

Perhaps it’s time to welcome it with open arms - and I’d love to hear about it when you experience the outcome.