Day 165
Changes occur every day of our lives. And if we resist change, we could become frustrated and unhappy. Yesterday, my boss, the Director of the school where I teach, told us that he was retiring. I have always had a wonderful relationship with him. In the past 10 years, the English department, in which I work, has flourished partly thanks to his open-mindedness, his vision and the trust and freedom he has always given us. I also just happen to think he's a great person.
Obviously, after his announcement, some of my colleagues started talking about his replacement. A wind of panic took over the department. What if the new Director has a more authoritarian approach? What if he doesn't believe in what we've built? What if ... he has a big nose, uneven skin and looks like an alien? Once you begin worrying, so many crazy thoughts can go through your mind.
Change is unavoidable and constant. Nothing ever stays the same. Evolution and transformation are just part of life. And if it weren't, wouldn't life become so monotonous? I, for one, would get so bored. And I hate being bored. Knowing this intellectually doesn't make the transitions easier. Especially when change is out of YOUR control. But it underlines the importance of developing the qualities of flexibility and adaptability in order to remain sane and happy when confronted with change.
Since many of our reactions are a result of our perceptions, if we fear change and we look at it with a dark lense, we will not be able to perceive it in a positive way. But change could be viewed as being an opportunity for renewal, as though you were given the chance to reinvent yourself. Sometimes, people are afraid of making career or relationship changes that would actually be so beneficial to their happiness. It feels so much safer to drown yourself in your misery and have self-pity, than to force yourself to fight your fears, embrace the unknown and create change!
Any worry you would have about the future is based on assumptions anyway. Apprehension is often much worse than reality. My friend Donna had a good job, great conditions and a very good salary. As a mother of two, she couldn't handle running around anymore. She quit her job and became self-employed. She was so scared to do it, but I can see she is so much happier now. And if you take it one day at a time and face the changes as they come without being concerned with them ahead of time, you will most definitely remain in a better and more peaceful state of mind.
"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."
Mary Engelbreit
"The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them."
George Bernard Shaw
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