The winds of change ...
The only thing constant is change.
Yes, as I look around me, everything is changing - from big ticket items like weather, economies, socio-political environments, right down to things closer home - associations, relationships, family, friendship, employment, organizations.
I will admit it can be very discomforting to people in my stage of life. I also feel very rattled at times. And this is me, a self claimed change agent! I am usually all for change as I believe it's inevitable, an evolutionary process that helps mankind move forward, that's how we got here from the jungle and that's possibly how we will get to where we should be...
Why change? is no longer a question. It's a given.
Today, I'd like to ponder on another question: how much change?
My teenaged daughter is representative of the next generation to me. Recently, I had the pleasure of spending a lot of quality time with her and have had profound discussions around such topics. Her perspective always shows me a completely different prism - one that I sincerely appreciate. Yet it also highlights the stark difference in our ways of looking at the same things.
A huge lot in my life has changed over the last few years. And I have coped, as best as I could, with faith and the love of my dear ones. And I have adapted. I have changed in many ways. But in many ways, I have also not wanted to change, I have become a lot more stubborn in saying this is how I am, take me as I am or leave me....
How much can one really change? In the process of keeping up with the winds of change blowing everywhere, does one end up becoming a completely new person by over-adapting or does he /she hold on to their core and resist change beyond a point?
How much change is enough? Can we identify thresholds?
My personal experience has shown me that being a headstrong person, I can only change to a point, change where I internalize and accept the new. Beyond that I do not obstruct change as a process, but I do tend to remove myself from the flow as much as possible. I am not comfortable with changing so much due to external factors that I fail to identify or recognize myself. I won't do it.
I wonder if others like me feel the same?
The world is changing. Yes. I have to be open to the new ways of doing things. Yes. Not only must I accept them, I must try to adapt and use these new ways of doing things. Yes....but only to a point. After that, I will hold on to my way of doing things even if most of the world is doing different. As long as I am not dogmatic and blocking the process of change ( which I anyways, can't ) for others. As long as I remain as non-judging as possible. But because the world's value system seems to have become different from mine, I will not change mine completely. My core, I guess, remains the same.
Will that make me a misfit for this world? I don't think so. I think it will keep me different, but then it takes all kinds to make the world, doesn't it?
and change continues to change everything
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