I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.
~ Georg C. Litchenberg
Change is the vehicle of evolution. It is the guide to the future, the direction to flow. It is a function of life, as seen in nature. Nature has an innate understanding of adaptability, which is instrumental to longevity.
Nature is in harmony with the seasons, progressing fluidly through the process of discard and renewal. Animals grow or shed their fur, plants sprout, grow, flower, then go dormant, while the moon travels through its phases, from full, to a sliver and back again. The cycles create a framework in which all adapt.
Adaptability is the ability to change; without it, we are just living in our past. Our past is a has-been, memories to be reflected on, lessons to be built upon, but not a place to reside.
Humans are masters at holding on to what was, which keeps us trapped in a world that no longer exists. Many resist change with an unfounded ferocity, even when we know it is for our best good. Yet conversely, we are often willing to adjust to the latest technology by waiting in line for hours to get the new iPhone or for the latest automobile with the most up-to-date gadgets, even though the one we have is only a few years old.
Why are we eager to adapt to external circumstances but inflexible to internal changes? We misplace our identity when we think the newest technology is a part of who we are.
Why are we so easily manipulated by consumerism and yet reticent to change ourselves unless we have social acceptance first? We are quick to judge and to offer our unasked opinions, yet the idea of altering our way of thinking can be stifling for most.
Perhaps there is a deep knowing that if we change our way of thinking, our lives will change, but we fear the unknown. Fear always lurks, and if fear prevents us from moving forward, it is best addressed by FDR, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”
Adapting is vital to forward-thinking and, more importantly, to longevity. Again looking at nature, mother earth is the queen of adaptability. Despite the devastation we impose on our habitat, it is only causing harm to us. We can change her geology, disrupt her composition, burn her forests, and melt the icecaps, but she will continue to adapt to whatever comes her way. On the other hand, we, as a species, may not fare as well.
Long after she sluffs off the human race, she will continue to flourish; of course, the landscape and topography we alter, the climate will change, and the species living here will have adjusted to the new normals. Through her ability to adapt, she will survive the devastation humankind has forced upon her, just as she has survived the ice age.
To flourish within our life ecosystems, a place to start is by letting go of our thoughts’ rigidity, unaltering cockiness, and disdain for those who step outside societal norms. Then, the evolution of our thoughts will determine how we coexist with nature and excel in our quests for self-actualization.
Let us take our cue from mother earth’s wisdom. She is the essence of adaptability. Adaptability equals longevity.
Life must be lived as it is, and you cannot live at all, if you do not adapt yourself to your life as it happens to be.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
