Change Matters
In a world where change is constant, change matters. Of this, I am certain.
Change may seem like it leads to only the slightest calibration: how much impact could the following episodes have? It may seem like not so much:
– a chance meeting
– a serendipitous collision on the stairway
– a mixup of luggage
On the other hand, the fruition of large-scale change brings the expectation of great impact:
– a move to a new home
– a divorce
– instability and uncertainty at work
As a change management professional, I find that the manner in which change impacts us, is something that affects me beyond a mere professional proficiency. I am genuinely fascinated by the ripples, waves and stormy tides that sweep over us as humans, and the way that we choose to deal –or not to deal –with them. It is no surprise, then, that in my capacity, as a novelist, I find the themes of change very strongly in the forefront.
(Warning: shameless self-promotion in the next few lines, do not continue reading, if you are sensitive...) In my latest novel "The Place Where We Belong," one can see the very transparent big impact changes (like divorce), alongside tiny episodes, (like dancing with a stranger at a party), the latter which, at that same moment in time, doesn't even register as more than a blip on the radar. But is that random encounter really so meaningless?
The fact is, we are not just bobbing on the ocean of life, like driftwood. We are inherently shifting, changing and reforming. We are constantly growing, shrinking and readjusting. Every change has an impact, and we have no way of knowing at the precise moment of change what the far-reaching implications will eventually be.
Change matters. The way that we deal with change matters. Whether in a professional or personal context, our ability to cope, adjust and grow from the impact of change – as opposed to being carried on the current like driftwood – might be the key to self-actualisation and fulfilment.