Posts tagged ‘Change’
“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Terry Moore gave a TED Talks presentation about How to Tie Your Shoe that shows how even the simple things we think we know how to do, can be done in a better way.
There’s so much to learn in life that we tend to put many of our beliefs and actions on autopilot. We learn something, then we think and act out of habit. It’s easier that way. It saves time and effort.
But if we close our minds and don’t question our personal status quo, we won’t continue to grow. We’re part of a changing Universe where all life must evolve or die. It’s healthy for us to revisit what we think we know, and use new information to update old beliefs and habits.
By challenging the way we think and act, we may discover a healthier way to eat, a smarter way to handle money, a new way to exercise, a more environmentally friendly way to travel—or even a better way to tie our shoe.
Our learning is never done—it always remains undone.
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” – Albert Einstein
“An oak and a reed were arguing about their strength. When a strong wind came up the reed avoided being uprooted by bending and leaning with the gusts of wind. But the oak stood firm and was torn up by the roots.” – Aesop
Life is about change, about movement. But we humans are creatures of habit and resist any challenge to the status quo. We feel safe in our comfort zone and refuse to change a habit or situation.
We cling to bad relationships, a lousy job, a home that was once a haven, but is now a burden, or a lifestyle that no longer fits our needs. We even refuse to change our bad habits, like drinking too much, abusing drugs, over spending, eating junk food, or smoking. We hold on to things out of the fear of the unknown, but our stubborn nature can get us in trouble.
When we ignore the facts of our situation, we’re fighting against the winds of change and we end up like the oak tree.
Change can make or break us. Being flexible and adaptable helps us survive and thrive. When we’re rigid and unmoving we perish. It’s evolution.
The winds of change can take us to new places and help us discover our hidden courage and talents. Changes in our lives that may at first seem like a threat, offer new possibilities and are opportunities for us to move on and grow beyond our self-imposed limits.
Life happens outside our comfort zone. It can be scary, but it’s worth it!
Sometimes it’s best just to let go of something and get caught up in the breeze.
“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind” – Bob Dylan
“We are
Born like this
Into this
Into these carefully mad wars
Into the sight of broken factory windows of emptiness
Into bars where people no longer speak to each other
Into fist fights that end as shootings and knifings
Born into this
Into hospitals which are so expensive that it’s cheaper to die
Into lawyers who charge so much it’s cheaper to plead guilty
Into a country where the jails are full and the madhouses closed
Into a place where the masses elevate fools into rich heroes”
– Charles Bukowski
Welcome to the realities of life—well at least the human made realities. We were given the tools and this is what we created. We made the rules, set up our societies—and we can change them for the better.
Life is messy, it’s not perfect—and it’s not meant to be. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved—that we’re helpless to change our situation. We can use our imagination to see things not as they are now, but the way they could be.
It starts with one person asking, “Why does it have to be like this?” People created these norms and people can change them. It’s about doing what’s right—helping each other make sense of our limited time on this planet. We’re part of a changing Universe and we need to evolve and improve the human condition.
Just because we’re born into this, doesn’t mean we’re stuck with it.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
lifeongoing 