“Change is inevitable…”

…Growth is optional.”

John Maxwell

While we are recovering from the shock of this change that almost broke the world, we should remember that change is inevitable. We act like change is something to get upset over, be stressed about, resist, fight, and defeat. But it is an ever-present constant. When we stop changing, we stagnate; when we stagnate, we die. Only change can bring a stagnant culture back to life because change is life.

We need to make sure we are growing in this time of change. That we benefit from it, learn from it, that we don’t let our fears (of death, of uncertainty, of “the new normal”) keep us from thriving during this pandemic, that we don’t let the comforts and security of “the way it was” just six months ago keep us looking back wistfully at the past, trying to reclaim our already idealized memory of it, at our own expense.

I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Whether it’s police violence, racial injustice, bigotry, discrimination, coronavirus policy and public response, economic policy, your financial habits, personal habits, or your own life – if it remains the same as it is today, if it doesn’t change, it won’t get better. Improving your life, your relationships, finances, love life, and/or your future requires change, small and large changes, to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Your spending habits have to change; you have to get a job that pays better, and you may have to get a degree in order to do that. You can’t do the same things every day, make the same decisions, keep the same habits, go to the same job, etc., and expect your life to change.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

Andy Warhol

People who complain about protests and demonstrations and “division” need to understand that people are asking for and trying to achieve change. They want the treatment of black Americans to change, to improve; that’s what they are saying. They want the police to change their behavior. Some of them (us) want a new president. Their lives – my life – won’t get better if we don’t get those changes.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.

Maya Angelou

We can’t change COVID-19 but we can decide to deal with the stress we feel because of the situations, the change, it has created. We can take advantage of the down time, the free time, of having more time to spend with our families. We can learn more about infectious diseases, PPE, protecting our health better. We can try to see the silver linings (lower crime rates, quieter neighborhoods, better health practices by the general public, etc.).

Some people still have their jobs but feel stuck in them, unable to quit them and pursue a new career because of the  lack of jobs in the current job market and the unbeleivable number of people who are competing for the few jobs there are. If you can’t change your job right now, be grateful that you have one, that you have a paycheck, that it meets some, most, or all of your needs. Whenever I think about how few options there are, right now, I take a minute to really feel grateful that I still have a job, that all my needs are being met, that I was protected from the worst of this pandemic.

One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.

Malala Yousafzai

One blog can, too. One video or YouTube channel. Keep working towards the change you want to see in the world. And, keep trying to help people change their lives.

Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.

N.R. Narayana Murthy

And, nothing is as painful as looking back and seeing how many  opportunities you missed, how much better your life could be, because you played it safe, you didn’t change, you didn’t take chances and take and just make different decisions. Noting is as painful as regret, just looking back and seeing all your missed opportunities with absolute clarity.

Make the changes you want to see in your life.

Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.

Simone de Beauvoir