Transformation.
Sounds dramatic.
Unless it comes dressed casual as “just a change” so it sounds and comes across a lot less threatening.
A lot less, well, dramatic. Nobody likes drama, right?
One of the definitions of CHANGE (and the one we generally think of) is: “a substitution of one thing for
another.” Sounds simple enough. Mundane even. Swapping French fries for a salad when you order
out. Or changing your online sweater order from black to teal. These kinds of changes are part of our
daily life. They are a given and quick to make. Something we do hundreds of times a day.
More intriguing is another definition of the word CHANGE - “To make or become different” — implying
something more dramatic, something with more potential and possibility. Like transformation. It points
to a deliberate making of an essential difference, perhaps, even amounting to a loss of original identity.
Whoa. Now THAT sounds way more intriguing to me. And, not to put too fine a point on it, it also
sounds a LOT more difficult to just DO than substitute salad for fries, doesn’t it?
People, in general, hate change. Anyone can, and will, tell you that. We prefer to stick to what we
already know, either because it works, or we are just more comfortable doing things the way we always
have. Or a combination of both.
Change just brings all sorts of disruption: having to learn new information and how to do things
differently, which then has to be substituted for what one already has, likes, and knows how to do.
What a waste of time and energy when what we had was working just fine. Or at least most of the time.
Ok…. some of the time. Fine. Hardly ever.
True change or transformation is about openness and will. Openness to change AND the will to allow
change to happen. Some questions to ask yourself might be: How do I open myself to it? How can I best
allow change to happen? How can I use this experience to learn and grow?
Because whether we want it or not, change WILL happen. And the only thing we actually have control
over is how we will respond.