John Tusant


Change: 

Alter! Modify! Adjust! Amend! Vary! Convert!  These are words that convey an action of the mind and the will.  Words that mean a conscious decision must be made.  They are words that encompass people, places, things or thoughts.  Yet words that mean we must be willing to make a change.

We don’t often give much thought to these words due to what they mean.  When they are heard we often excuse them as a nuisance or inconvenience.  We just do not want to take the energy to participate in change.  In reality we are really very satisfied with the status quo of our lives.  So don’t rock the boat.  We like it the way it is plain and simple.

Yet as we think about this hectic world we live, we soon come to realize that we will need to make a conscious decision to change.  There will be a need to either be up with what is happening or be behind.  James Gordon, a psychiatrist and author has written, “It’s not that some people have the willpower and some don’t.  It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not”.

So what does this mean for us in the 21st century?  What does this mean in either keeping up with the Joneses or staying put with the McCoy’s and Hatfield’s?

The answer is found in two conceptual phrases: radical change and incremental change.

Radical change: What this means is that people see a restructuring that makes sense in the emotional and spiritual arenas of life, and there is nothing that will stop these people from sweeping away the old and replacing it with something better.  Most of the time this means a simplification of one’s life and goals; yet given ample time these changes can be costly and deliberate but well worth it.

Incremental change:  While the radical change usually means immediate change the incremental change means step-by-step change.  It means taking every precautionary advantage one has in making the decision to change.  It means one fears taking huge steps not knowing what lies ahead.   It means people want to ease their way out.  The question is: can one be assured that the intended change will result for their betterment to that of staying where one is?

Today we are facing changes every time we turn the corner.  Decisions based on these changes are being made a breakneck speed.  Results are happening that are either planned for or caused due to one’s inability to adjust to the change that happened.  So what can or should we do? 

1. Not be afraid of change.
2. Accept change as a fact of life.
3. Embrace change for the good it will bring.
4. Be a change agent in someone else’s life.
5. Recognize that we are in a change mode everyday.