Leadership Thought #380 – Change Is a Fact of Life
Change is a fact of life. Like it or not, we will get older. Our minds will get sharper and then grow duller. Our bodies will get hard and then grow softer. Friends will come and go. Loved ones will enter this world while others will exit. If we have children, they will grow up, become independent adults, and eventually leave us. Our careers will follow a natural arc of emergence, growth, maturity, and decline. We will have periods of minimal responsibility and other moments where it feels like we are overwhelmed with life/work obligations. It is difficult to grasp at times, but very few things will ever stay the same.
It’s obvious when you see someone fighting the inevitable changes in their life. I think it’s good to hold onto positive things like your health or intellect, but not so good when it relates to misplaced ego or vanity. As with everything, there is a continuum. Of course, we should do our best to live a vital and robust life; however, our understanding of what this means needs to continually evolve to maintain a reasonable level of happiness. A big part of life is accepting those things we cannot change.
I’m at the midpoint of my life, which offers an intriguing perspective. I’ve more than likely lived more years than I have left. As a result, time has begun to take on a new meaning. I’m less interested in what’s possible and more appreciative of what I have. I also realize that I need to reprioritize my “bucket list” and that everything I’ve dreamed about doing won’t come true, but maybe a few important things still will if I focus on them. I am more in tune with the lessons the universe is trying to teach me and more open to the inherent possibilities. I’ve passed my physical peak, but I am at a good place career-wise. I’m less interested in money and more interested in my quality of life and personal impact.
I’ve experienced long-term love and companionship and then lost it, and I hope to find it again. I won’t have any more children, but I am lucky to have two wonderful, healthy kids who are a constant source of joy and pride. My parents are still here, but the relationship has changed dramatically as they are near the end of their life journeys (and all that means). Sadly, many people I’ve cared about, including a sister, have passed away, but their memory lives on in many subtle yet significant ways. Given all this, I now recognize the finite nature of time and the importance of cherishing and nurturing close personal relationships. In contrast, other relationships may be worth letting go of and have served their purpose.
We can’t fight what’s inevitable, and much of the change in our lives is unavoidable. However, we can learn to navigate it and learn from it. We can strive to become better, more humble, less judgmental, and more understanding individuals. We should certainly be proactive about making the positive changes that are important to us and live our lives intentionally. Still, we should never fall under the spell of thinking that we can command and control everything in our lives to our liking or fight nature. The famous saying goes, “Man plans, God laughs.” I want to amend this saying by adding “and then man accepts his fate, learns from it, readjusts, and grows in a positive way.”
Embrace and learn from change rather than resist it!
Related articles
- Change: The Great Inevitability of Life (divinenation.wordpress.com)
- When I’m 65 (ageukblog.org.uk)
- Change (Ready or Not) (veganchopnchat.com)
- Looking Forward (creatinganewearthtogether.com)
- Two Words – Let Go – Can Change Your Life Immediately! (creatinganewearthtogether.com)
- Do you embrace change, or snorkel in the sand? (thedivareport.typepad.com)
- Embrace Change (aninspiredapproach.com)
