Change How You See Change. Here’s How.

Change How You See Change. Here’s How.

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”~John Ruskin

 

Maybe it’s the same where you live. But in Nebraska, there’s a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around a few minutes, it’ll change.” Mark Twain has been credited with the quote but who knows. It seems to be true almost everywhere except close to the equator or the poles. On Sunday I was transplanting mums and asters in sunny, 72-degree bliss. Tuesday, little Halloweeners got tricked with icy cold winds and snow, not much of a treat! The high was 30 degrees.

 

 

 

Many of us, myself included, wailed, “I’m not ready!” Snow is for later, not now! All of us like our comfort, our sameness. An abrupt forty-degree plunge to the bottom of the thermometer is never welcomed. It really got me thinking. If we’re honest, most of us dislike change. Well, maybe we’re okay with it but only if things stay pretty much the same. And, our resistance to any interruption to the status quo applies to much more than just the weather.

 

Don’t be surprised, change is gonna happen

 

 

In this life, very few things remain constant. Change will always be a part of living. Somehow we must come to grips with the reality that life is always evolving. And, it moves in only one direction, forward. Often, we wish we could freeze time and hang on to those “Kodak moments” that flicker across our screen. Other times we long to fast-forward through a  passage of time as if whatever lies ahead has got to be better than the stage we’re in. Both are futile. “This too shall pass” are words to live by.

 

“If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.”~John A. Simone

 

We may not all agree with Charles Darwin’s theories on evolution but I’d be hard-pressed to come up with an argument with his view on survival. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

 

Because change is going to happen. Jobs will be lost, illness will strike, friends move away, children grow up and leave home. Death comes to our doorstep. We’ve somehow got to learn to dance with it and it will always take the lead. Much has been said about living in the present moment but if we are going to enjoy the ride, we must learn to keep a relaxed grip on the reins.

 

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.“~Albert Einstein

 

 

Change happens fast

 

Several years ago, my brother posted that photo of the red leaf on Facebook and it riveted me. His post followed a day like I had last Sunday when it felt as if the lovely days of fall would last and last.  Darn it all, nothing is forever. The cold showed up too soon.

 

This is what I wrote back then, “My thoughts turned to the image of the still supple, brilliant red leaf surprised to find itself on a bed of snow. Change can come so quickly and life can turn on a dime. It’s often difficult to accept but it always arrives exactly on time to teach us what we need to know in our journey towards fulfillment.

 

Once we learn to accept that life is never static but instead is always flowing and changing like a river, we can relax a bit when circumstances change. And, when we learn to soften our stance and yield, we realize that this is simply part of an endless process of change and adaptation.”

 

See life with new eyes and the view changes.

 

I don’t know about you, but for me doing something is much easier than relaxing and yielding to circumstances. However, I’m finally learning that everything isn’t a battle to keep a death grip on the steering wheel, thinking somehow I can drive the outcome to my liking. I’m reminded of something that Lao Tzu so wisely taught centuries ago. Water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. If we can stay supple and bend our expectations, we’ll come through life’s storms with far less damage.

 

Thankfully, there is something in this life we can always be sure of. The more firmly we cast our anchor in our faith, our Heavenly Father, and His eternal promise, the easier it is to endure any changes that life can bring. There is really only one thing that does not change and that is Jesus and His endless love for us.  Hebrews 13:8 teaches that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.”

 

I’ll see you on Monday! Is your company or organization stuck? Need a little shake-up to the status quo? I’d love to present a program that will help them see life with new eyes! Sound good? Email me at bjstreff@gmail.com.