Allow me to set a context for today's topic........ The Covid calamity that we are facing not only brought to fore how resilient we actually are but it also brought to spotlight the battles each one of us is fighting! Among the things we are most sure about is the uncertainty that these times made us witness. The ripple effect from the disease is felt world wide whether on work front or otherwise. And the only thing staring in our face in these ambiguous times is, dropping a C-word here, is Change. Change that has truly emerged as the only constant. Which brings us to the more apt question, what is our aptitude towards change? Do we welcome a change or despise it? What is our change readiness?
Let me attempt at putting this in perspective, through a short story. This is a story about a little kid who lost his father when he was only 5. By 16, he quit school and the following year he had already lost 4 jobs. By 18 he was married and by the end of his teenage years he was father to a daughter. At 20 his wife left him. He was working as a Railroad conductor when he decided to join the Army, but was washed out. He applied for law school but was rejected. He became an insurance sales man but failed again. He then became a cook and a dishwasher at a small cafe. At 65, he retired and the government send him a cheque of $105. He felt like a failure and was so dejected and wanted to commit a suicide. He sat down to write his will, but instead he began writing what would he have done with his life. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became he is a cook second to none. Determined he got up, borrowed another $87. And made something special using his special recipe. Care to venture a guess?! This man was Colonel Harland Sanders who sold his very special fried chicken. By 88, he was a billionaire with KFC being the second largest food chain in the world and a presence in 123 countries.
Change and transition goes hand in hand. Sometimes it is a disappointment and sometimes a wonderful surprise. But one thing is amply clear that progress is impossible without change! So then how do we cope with change? It's a 5 fold process.
Firstly stop expecting stability- remember change is hardest in the beginning, messiest in the middle and best in the end!
Second, accept the past and fight for the future you deem is rightful
Third, focus on values more than fear
Fourth, instead of talking about problems, think about solutions
And fifth, don't stress about stressing!- If you can find humor in the whole situation that is very uplifting.
As an Indian woman we are subjected to more changes than in most of the countries. For one when we marry, suddenly a carefree girl is expected to be a perfect woman. Bless my in-laws, not everyone is as lucky! And once you are a mother, ohh boy, that is an entirely new league! Everything changes physically, mentally, emotionally, metaphysically and/or any other realms there maybe. No wonder theory goes woman is better suited to handle change than their male counterparts. Even countries with female leadership were better at handling the Covid crisis. Well I am clearly digressing here.
So moving on, don't assign a time stamp to the outcome of the change. London is 5 hours ahead of Washington, but that doesn't make Washington slow. Or that Obama retired at 55 and Trump only began at 70. The examples are dime a dozen- Ronald Reagan didn't make it to Hollywood but became the 40th US President and for consecutively 2 terms between 1981 to 1989. Or Peter Roget, who invented Thesaurus at the age of 73.
My point being Change. Change is risky but also beautiful. With each change you discover more of yourself. So embrace the uncertainty, keep that unwavering spirit to plunge and join the dance!
Like Socrates rightly put,
" The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old,
But on building the New."
Good bye and have a pleasant weekend!
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