We have all felt that initial exuberance of being a part of something new, something important. When we […]
Category Archive: Change
Margaret Mead’s rallying call of “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the […]
A few days ago, as I briskly walked the Vancouver Seawall, a young couple ran passed me with the elegance and confidence of two gazelles. A few steps behind me, a young mother held the hand of a toddler learning to walk alongside her. That’s when I thought, I am living the Riddle of the Sphinx. You know how it goes…
“In the kind of world we have today, transformation of humanity might well be our only real hope for survival.”
Stanislav Grof
Thirty years ago, when my parents entered their 50’s, they were asked to participant in a university study on aging. They were interviewed separately in cubicle offices by young 20 something year-old students. The questions were basic, covering a broad range of subjects that were easily answered, until the last one. “Looking back over all of your life experiences, what advice would you give to a young person starting out.” In separate offices, without any discussion, and without hesitation, they answered, as if in unison: Remember that time is finite. Do what you must do. Choose your friends wisely for they will influence the quality of your life.
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Work! We need to work. We define our lives by what we do, how we participate and by our lasting contribution to our families, communities and even future generations. Notwithstanding those moments when we would love to exchange the “rat-race” for an extended exotic holiday, we want to be employed in something meaningful. Whether we call it a career, labour, grindstone, we are at a loss once we no longer have that option. Work allows us to make a living, purchase a decent life that bestows stability, shelter and a place to fulfill our individual potential.
“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.”
Anatole France
I have been reading and re-reading the comments to The Change Equation: The Beginning. My deepest thanks goes to all those in our brilliant and discerning blogger community who joined the dialogue. Your humour, joy and wisdom have added so much to this discussion and to my personal understanding. It appears that the change equation will have a series of iterations.
