More than ever before, I am being a little impatient this year while waiting for the arrival of spring. Yes, the season has officially started, with blooms here and there and the pollen dust covering places, yet the dreary look of winter is not completely gone. Every day I look at that maple tree in my backyard, its tender leaves signaling that spring is in the air. I am eager to see it thrive amidst a green landscape under the canopy of a blue sky.
We might have a season that we like the best, but we still look for a change because there is beauty in every scene that nature presents. Each season is unique in its own way, and there is joy in immersing ourselves in its wonders.
A quote attributed to Heroclitus establishes a profound truth. The great philosopher of yore stated that the only thing constant in life is change. He believed that nothing is static and that everything is in a state of flux.
That we age and that seasons change are laws of nature. But how do we as human beings react to change?
Starting right at home
The son had always half-heartedly nodded to several discussions we have had on a particular topic. We agreed that we need to work on our sleep schedule and hit the hay at a reasonable time. Those decisions have not been fruitful so far, and I am sharing something very recent.
It is Sunday night, and this is what unfolds at 11:45 pm. The older man tries to place an order that is not at all urgent on Amazon. I am amused or rather perplexed as to why he has chosen that time to do his task. The younger guy follows suit. Sitting in front of the computer, he tries to finish the last bit of some code he was experimenting upon. As for myself, I am catching up on an article sent to me by my youngest niece almost close to a month ago. I should have either read it before or could have picked a more favorable time than so late at night.
We as a family have not been able to achieve that goal of going to bed at a decent time. So are we resistant to change? My answer would be a “No”. It is not that we are opposed to the idea of sleeping early; it is just that we need to work harder to change a habit that has been ingrained in us.
The doorway to new possibilities
Change does not happen overnight. Sometimes we take a while to convince ourselves to accept something new. It may even sound unsettling, and we are not ready to take a risk. But if it happens in the right way, change has the potential to unlock opportunities.
Unless we are ready to explore and take the steps, it is not possible to get a fuller understanding of the ways of the world. We could be missing out on things that would perhaps make our lives better.
Viewing change as a teacher
Whatever happens in our day-to-day existence does not amount to a linear graph. There are highs and lows, and we need to adapt to this change whether we like it or not.
You can’t always expect the sun to smile down upon you; the storm too might hit you unexpectedly. Be it our health, career, or maintaining relationships with people around us, there is no guarantee that things will remain permanent. Success and failure are a part of the package.
The changes in life bring us face-to-face with reality. Besides teaching us what to do, they make us aware of what we might have ignored, taken for granted, or never learned.
To change or not to change?
With impermanence being the law of the universe, change is inevitable. Sometimes we may be totally closed to the idea of changing our point of view, but do we always have the option of being resistant to it? Not really! Besides our personal lives, we have a much wider canvas where the social, political, and economic milieus are always subject to change. When the fabric of the society is affected, we are a party in that transformation.
Nothing is absolute in the paradigm of life, and so is change. It can be for the better or worse. The goal should be to keep an open mind and embrace change that promotes the upliftment of the individual and the society at large.
A paradox indeed!
Going back to the statement that “The only thing that is constant is change”, we are left here to marvel at an interesting paradox. Change which implies transformation or impermanence is juxtaposed with the concept of ever-eternal constancy! Mind-boggling indeed, isn’t it?
rashmi writes 