Changing how we see change
I am continually amazed by how little sense of agency most people feel they have to initiate change.
By that, I mean that they usually don’t believe they can change anything. And yet, change and adaptability are our birthright by virtue of being living systems. We naturally change when the environment around us changes. (Earlier this year I hosted a webinar introducing my Changing Naturally suite of programs if you’d like to explore this further).
So what holds things in place? The system we are in is a part of it. Our beliefs are another part. Many people have been drained of their sense of agency or belief that they can make a difference. But the ongoing belief that we can’t make a difference is continually making a difference by holding the status quo in place. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy!
What if we were wrong about change? Being wrong reminds me of a great TED video by Katheryn Schulz.
She asks: How does it feel to be wrong? The same as being right! It feels great. What feels dreadful is the realisation that you are wrong. We avoid that feeling due to our socialisation within our society about how important it is to be right.
So let’s hold our minds open and think about change differently.
Change has a bad rap in many regards. It is seen as depleting, resisted and to be avoided. The opportunity is to reverse that and reclaim our birthright. Change is our opportunity to come alive and experience life to its fullest. That’s what we are here for isn’t it? To live! Change is a chance to expand our experience of life. Sure, change can be difficult as we navigate old habits and create new ones – I struggle with that too. But that struggle, just like the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, makes us stronger and more adaptable and resilient. It develops and grows us as people, too.
Change and adaptation are parts of a flourishing life.