A Short Essay on Change

No matter the level of present despair, or amount of pressure in the sobering fear of what’s unknown- meet change with an unrelenting acumen for solving problems.

Solving problems relies heavily on quality experience that is somehow relevant to the situation at hand. Without firm references, as in having shallow or narrowed experience, makes it difficult to convey the magnitude or significance of what’s being observed. In other words, you don’t know what hot is until you’ve felt “really hot”.

People are invariably inclined to bet on themselves, but as we grow older become less likely to do so. Why? Well despite our intuition telling us to leap, most crumble to the pressures of incurring failure, loss, or embarrassment. The power of the fear embedded in the unknown is more indomitable than any other form of fear. We will electively choose the known lesser outcome that is familiar and safe because good enough is qualifying when compared to “potentially catastrophic”. But I disagree.

There is much less talk of the underlying risk of taking the safe & secure route. Insistent to being compliant for the sake of not disturbing the peace. Meeting minimum standards by the sole motivation of not being reprimanded.

Compromises become mindless, almost a newly acquired instinct that just reacts to avoid thought or conflict. As I see it, this presents the true risk of life- becoming so automated to compliance that you only live to get through rather than embracing the experience. Presence is a skill.

Understand there is assumed risk with everything. The goal shouldn’t be to avoid risk taking, but to learn to become calculated with risk taking. Being opportunistic, collaborative, ambitious. All are necessary, and all come with risk. Nothing profound can occur without assuming risk.

There is also a component of timing. You want to position yourself to undertake change or risk when you are able to navigate without the pressure of doing so in desperation. Change is uncomfortable, but you’re never desperate. Do your best to eliminate unnecessary burdens proactively. Knowing what you won’t tolerate mitigates a lot of conflict in advance.

Beyond that, don’t consume what you can’t use, and don’t associate with others who compromise your outcome. Be resourceful and conscientious of your relationships. Just as you have value to offer others, others have value to provide you. Identify what’s redeemable and always do your part.

It’s a priority to reduce conflicting input during times of change. There must be a positive momentum as you approach the situation.

Sometimes being somewhat wrong in projection can be overcome by having the right counterparts. This is also a key factor for becoming unreasonably positive with yourself; never undermine the influence others have on your perspective.

Decision making is exponential. The more you do it the more consequential it can become. Your daily, often unconscious, decisions that you make over and over again are what precede the more landmark life decisions. Everyone focuses on the “major” decisions, while neglecting what led to them. Our smaller, less significant decisions are paramount for development. This is also what will heavily influence our perspective for bigger decisions. It all feeds itself.

With decision making comes problem solving. There is a small window to react, a moderate one to respond, and an endless one to learn. Solving problems can be instructive, but there is also an intuition. Skill is developed through experience, nuance is acquired through experiment.

In either case, you have to work your way out of some shit before you can sit in gold. But above all, the worst decision you can make is none at all. Being indifferent can often be more harmful than being wrong. It’s better to suck than to be idle, because at least when you suck you have movement & impulse.

Navigating change is complex, it’s uncomfortable and it’s necessary. Take tremendous pride in where you are, irrespective of circumstances. An unreasonable positivity can go a long way.

But without firm principles to stand on, you will quickly become at the mercy of the others around you. Have a very deep and honest understanding of who you are, and equally, who you aren’t. There is no greater power than understanding of self, and no greater defeat than suffering the consequences of someone else’s decision making or judgement.

Have the austerity to oppose the standard or the norm. Some level of defiance is an undeniable requirement to becoming timeless. You must be willing to do more than what’s required in order to go beyond what’s expected. And if you never take the leap, you’ll continue to walk your path baring the weight of having to think “what if”.

The scar of failure pales in comparison to the severance of regret.