“The only thing that is constant is change” - Heraclitus
That quote, or some variant of it, has been heard by everyone, and has been around for millennia. I’m sure most people think about it the same way I initially did – a bit of reflection upon events in ones’ own life, recognition that changes did happen over time, but feeling that but for a few significant events (marriage, kids, etc) - we were largely powerless over the changes that happened in our lives.
However, I think there are deeper meanings, and multiple levels of truth, in sayings that have stood the test of time.
In this case, the first level of truth is initial reflection. It’s easy to look at the past and see how the saying has applied to events that already happened - the tapestry of history is already known, and we are familiar with looking at the past to gain insight.
The second level of truth is recognizing that the saying will continue to be true in the future. It sounds obvious, but it is more difficult to embrace, because it means admitting things you enjoy in your life right now will change – your relationships, your career, your health, etc. The changes are not necessarily bad, but things like relationship dynamics and career paths do change over time.
The third level of truth is recognition of change as it is happening. In my opinion, this is where the saying really starts to show its value, because change is opportunity in disguise, and if change happens frequently, that means there is always a new opportunity. We can then use these opportunities to improve our situation or set us up for future success - we just have to tune our eyes to see the opportunity.
For example, maybe there has been some management change at your workplace. This sort of thing is often viewed with trepidation because it can threaten the status quo and existing level of comfort. However, this change may result in new professional growth opportunities – barriers that existed in the old regime may not be present in the new, because policies and procedures may be altered.
Or perhaps something has happened in your life that has changed your comfortable and familiar schedule. This change may result in a new consistent block of time that is conducive to pursuing something you have been thinking about for a while, such as working out more regularly, reading more, or even preparing your own home cooked meals more often.
How many times have you examined some factor of your life - how you ended up at your current job, how you met your spouse, or how your deepest friendships developed - followed the chain of events that ultimately led to that outcome, and been amazed that something so insignificant at one point in time resulted in something so significant now?
That was when something happened in your life when you weren't paying attention. Now, imagine how things could look 20 years from now if you brought a level of intention and vision to events happening in your life right now.
Life presents us with a lot of changes on a regular basis that at first seem insignificant. Yet, we can use them to continually practice sharpening our vision, which provides even more opportunities we can capitalize on. Over time, this cycle acts like compound interest – small changes now pay big dividends later.
Don't be afraid of change. Embrace it.
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