Change At The Core
The future is, unknown. By its nature, it will always be that way. We can know the past, and experience the present, but we can not know the future.
We hold on to the past because it feels safe, because we know the story that’s already been told. When looking for a new book to read, how often do we end up rereading an old book instead. Or rewatching an old sitcom, instead of giving a new one a chance. When we already know something, it will always be the safe choice.
Safety is important to us, because we are still animals deep down inside. We want to feel safe. We are creatures, of habit, of evolution. We rely on calendars and schedules. Summer comes after spring, and after fall, winter. We are fine with the future we understand, the future we look forward to. But we resist the future that’s different, that requires change. Because change is the hardest thing to face of all.
Changing people is, radically difficult. In my experience it takes more than a person hearing the right words at the right time. I believe that many people who struggle today are victims of an antiquated system. They believe they must be married to a career they hate, when the gig economy is on the rise. They went to university and are still paying for the degree, so they think they must stay in a job that will likely not even exist in ten years.
An ever changing world brings with it the excitement that within our lifetimes, technologies will be realized that once seemed the stuff of science fiction and fantasy. We should be embracing these innovations and integrating them as fast as possible into our society, and yet systems created in the past prevent us from doing so. Change is never easy, because we want to feel safe, but also because there will always be something standing in the way of it.
In the past one major change would rock society, stirring up opposing forces to battle over ideas and innovations. In our lifetime the rate of change has accelerated exponentially, and yet the fire and fury that comes with it has diminished. We are getting used to change, but also feeling less in control of it.
So stop being safe, take control, and face whatever it is standing in the way of you changing.
