“Change is the whispering wind that always seems to
follow through on any effort to find stability.”
This
profoundly interesting statement by an Unknown
Author has always impressed me as one of the finest description of the true
role of change in anyone’s life. From the outset, the human being, quite unlike
all of nature’s other creatures, has always preferred to live immersed in the
uniquely paradoxical state of holding on to their familiar and comfortable
settings, while continuing to search for new and less familiar ones. Change is
the stimulus that always leads to new and different circumstances, and it is nature’s
preferred approach for others to cope with its recurrent natural phenomena, and
in forcing individuals to make selections. Evolutionally, change also serves the
fundamental purpose of inducing and/or encouraging continued adaptation and ultimately,
improved evolutionary behavior. Therefore from any aspect viewed, change is the
engine of life, and the reason for continued living and growing on earth.
Change
is nature’s way of forcing us to leave our comfort zones and to escape our human
sense of complacency. It has no respect or consideration whatsoever for any weaknesses,
strengths or needs of any one, nor is it concerned whether its effect on the
individuals is for the better or for worse. It is relentless, and is never
concerned with the basic impact it causes, nor is it ever satisfied with the
outcome that results. It has no resting place, nor will it cease on demand, and
it is always ready to move again. It does not need to adopt any special,
exclusive, or reproducible image, but like the chameleon, it takes the shape
that relates to circumstances; becoming at the same time loved by some, and
hated by others. And like time itself, it respects no boundaries, being slow
and painful for those who are reluctant to accept change, and a ceaseless
whirlwind for those who embrace it. The late President John F. Kennedy, in one of his famous addresses, very clearly
placed change in its right human setting when he said:
“Change is the law of life, and those who look only
to the past or the present, are certain to miss the future.”
At any given moment in time, the same act of change, like
life itself, can become a mortal enemy to some people or a loyal friend to
others; and at special times, it can even be both to the same person simultaneously.
It has no loyalty to anything or anyone but its own peculiar circumstances.
This indeed, is the law of nature where life is measured not by the present,
but by the end-results, and not in a single moment, but for eternity. Lao Tzu, the foremost of the great
ancient Chinese philosophers and founder of the School of Taoism, very effectively placed the meaning of
change in life in its true context when he said:
"Life
is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only
creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in
whatever way they like."
Dennis
Merritt Jones, the respected American author of the award-winning social
masterpiece, The Art of Uncertainty, described
life as being a contest between a rock and a river. Because the river is
willing to flow in whatever direction nature dictates, going over, under or
through any change in its path, it will always grow and prosper, and reach its
final destination, enhanced in stature. The rock on the other hand, choosing to
stand firm and to resist any force or change that may come along, will not only
never move forward, but over time, will lose its strength and its relevance,
and become an insignificant pebble. In this metaphor, Jones related the flowing
water to those of us who accept the natural changes on our journey of life,
learn to grow from them, and reap fulfillment. The rock on the other hand,
standing resolute, rejecting the forces of change, will spend its life in
regret and in frustration. He was confirming once again, what Sir Harold Wilson, a highly respected
British politician, statesman, and a former Prime Minister of Great Britain, who
firmly declared:
“He
who rejects change is the architect of decay.”
While change
is without question, the foundation of life, it is the challenge to change that
determines the future direction of life. Any growth or success will never be
achieved by trying to ignore or to change the challenge when it appears, but
only from challenging the change. This is nature’s way of ensuring growth and
continued survival of the species. It always takes adversity and a threat to
our complacency to create change, and without the challenge to change, we are
doomed to being left behind without growth or development, and ultimately, to
extinction. We cannot ever ignore the call for change without having to pay a
significant price. And unless we are prepared to respond and be willing to
accommodate to its demands, we are destined to be discarded into the rubbish
heap of humanity. This, I believe was what Maya
Angelou, the outstanding, African-American author, poet and social
philosopher was alluding to, when she offered this recommendation:
“If
you don't like something, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
It
does not matter whether we are consciously searching for change or resisting
it, we are all subject to the challenge of change with the same dynamic principle. Whether we choose to see change as an ally or
as an enemy will make no difference to its quality or its timing, but how we
choose to respond to it, will certainly have great relevance to our needs, wants
and desires. There are essentially 4 factors operating that will determine a
person’s reaction to change.
These are:
1. Underlying Ego and Self-image: the way we feel about ourselves
influences the meaning of life and our interpretation and our reception of
reality.
2.
Personality Make-up: the way we
think, behave and anticipate impending action, plays a vital role in behavior
and our decision- making process.
3.
Perception: the way we see ourselves
in relation to the world, determines our attitude toward others and the
environment and gives meaning to life.
4.
Past Experience: more opportunities
for exposure to changing conditions increase confidence and conditioning, and
reduce the levels of anxiety toward the unknown.
People generally react to change in widely different ways
that often renders subsequent behavior inconsistent and unpredictable. In each
situation, the decision is influenced not only by the event or its impact, but
by our own underlying beliefs and emotions at that time. Despite this,
following the laws of nature, change, irrespective of good or bad, will
continue to happen throughout life. And while we are not always able to control
all the changes that occur in our lifetime, we still have the power and the
responsibility to react to the changes. Unlike the other members of the animal
world, we alone, have the intellectual capacity to be able to understand and
embrace the changes in our lives and the skill to modify and adapt
sufficiently, to render them less threatening and allow us to emerge as victors
and not be victims. This I believe is what George
Bernard Shaw, the prolific Irish playwright, author and activist meant to
convey, when he declared:
“Those who cannot change their minds
cannot change anything.”
-Indeed, the challenge of change as an integral
part of nature, must never be feared, but rather be welcomed, accommodated and
adapted to serve mankind. This is the law of survival!
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