Change

How many of you want to look old? And how many of you want to remain a child for ever? Change is sure inevitable. Change Management is a very important topic in books on Organization Behavior. But is change really welcome? We’ve heard people speak fervently for change. They strongly inspire you to change. That’s the worst part of change - everyone wants the others to change. They try to change everything but themselves.

Spirituality tells us that there is happiness in stillness. Mind is in its best state when it is still. The whole purpose of life is to be happy. We cannot be happy when the things around us change rapidly. Rapid changes only result in anxiety, stress, and depression. Many good things in life never change. Human values haven’t changed. The concept of happiness hasn’t changed. The concept of lie and perjury have changed, but the concept of truth has always remained the same. The concept of marriage is changing, but the concept of conception and mother haven’t changed. God is described as changeless. A few good things that indeed changed, have changed very slowly. Nature changed very slowly. It took millions of years for earth to change. So, my conclusion is that the best never changes. Better are the ones which change very slowly.

There have been so many changes in our lives over generations. There are many more comforts now. But can we claim to be happier than our parents in their time? I read a letter in the Wall Street Journal sometime back, where the reader described how, even after being much better educated and better placed than his father, he was having a tough time leading a decent life. Don’t most of us echo those feelings in our heart?

Change is of course inevitable. We cannot but be part of the change. But we can also slow the change. For instance, diet and exercise slow down the aging process. Great Chefs will hopefully agree with me that tasty dishes are the ones that are cooked slowly on medium heat. Romance is best when it is slow. Economic growth is best in moderation. Technology should only grow at the rate our natural resources can support it. Competition and greed are ill-founded and are harmful in the long run. Other motivators such as job satisfaction, customer appreciation, and the innate desire to be challenged should be the driving factors to help kill idleness and serve the humanity.
Change begets change. If your neighbor changes, you have to change. A country flexes its nuclear muscle, its neighbor reciprocates. The whole world becomes an unsafe place. So, best is not to change in the first place. That implies being largely content with what is bestowed upon us and staying focused inwards, whether as an individual or as an individual entity.

In summary, take it slow, and take it easy. There is lot to life than racing against change.