Change

They say that there are two constants in life: Death and taxes.  I’d like to submit a third — change.  No matter how hard we fight it, things are going to change. Our bodies change. Our relationships change. Our jobs change. Our careers change. Our towns change. Our country changes.  Change is the water that carved the mighty stones into the Grand Canyon.  As they said in Star Trek: Resistance is futile.

Change can be exciting like money you find in your pocket. It also can be annoying like a nickels that thunk in the dryer.

Change isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. You wake up one day and your world is totally different.  Now, how you react to that difference determines your ultimate success in life.  I read a report over the weekend suggesting that entrepreneurs succeed because they pick themselves off the ground quickly after something negative happens. I believe that. Also you need to be careful about getting caught up in your successes. That’s as poisonous as Snow White’s apple.  I know I got comfortable and blind to changes going on in my career. And if things do change, don’t get mad. That’s a dead-end strategy. Just swallow your pride and figure out how you can make the change work for you.  It’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way.

I see so many people in denial about changes going on around them. They just go about their day and pretend like life is the way it was yesterday. Maybe they want to hang on to a great moment in their lives. Or maybe they absolutely have their dream job (that was me.). Maybe they are scared into inaction. But whatever, they’re rooted into a comfort zone that isn’t reality.  Usually it takes something severe like being downsized to wake them. (Worrying if you will be able to keep your house is a powerful motivator.)

I’ve learned a very powerful lesson from change: Even when it seems like a bad thing, can be good. It sharpens your senses. It hones your skills. It lights a spark of creativity in a dormant brain.  Sure, it’s stressful. And it can cause pain. But it is also exhilarating and joyful.

My take on it is this: If you ever want true success in your life, you have to learn how to surf the wave of change. Otherwise, you’ll drown.