Lots of different thoughts enter my mind as I read the title "Spring Cleaning and Fresh Ideas for Changing Times" and it strikes me that maybe what we need to do is to embrace some of the not so fresh ideas. Don't get me wrong, fresh ideas are great and change is good, it's vital, in fact, to our personal and professional growth. But is it possible, that old ideas are the best way to handle changing times?
If we are very lucky in this life, we live in good health with people we love and awake each spring to the joy of the buds on the trees, the flowers poking out of the ground and kids on bikes and scooters and skateboards even though there is still a chill in the air. So far, our 4 seasons here have remained constant. Sure winter may be a little more harsh and longer some years, and spring may come a little later than we want, autumn may not be as brilliant as some in the past and summer is always over too soon, especially if you are in school. But, year after year we enjoy the seasons. We in fact, come to rely on them for rejuvenation. No one's future is certain, ever, but the positive attitude says "Ah spring is right around the corner" or "I can't wait til summer".
We, as a nation, and as a world have seen tremendous changes even in just the last ten years with our economy, technology, medicine, just to name a few. And how do we embrace that change?
Some will reject it completely
Some will try to persuade others to follow their way of thinking
Some will try to destroy it
Some will try to change it
Some will degrade and reject those that don't or won't or can't jump on the bandwagon
Someone once said "The more things change, the more they stay the same". I think what this person may have meant was that change always comes down to how we embrace it.
Are we unkind?
Are we gossiping?
Are we jealous?
Are we cheating? just a little bit? and what is a little bit?
Are we lying? just a little bit?
Are we bending the rules? just a little bit? and how far will we bend them?
For me spring is not about cleaning my house, though I will clean my yard, so that I can see everything springing back to life. It's about cleaning out my mind, body, and soul, and it's about assessing my behavior to see if I am on track. Am I really living the Golden Rule? Have I put down any roots, not geographically, but ethically and morally? Am I striving to teach that to my daughter? Do I do what is right even when it is not popular?
So maybe with the emergence of this year's new spring, we need to embrace some old ideas again...truth, kindness, helpfulness, fairness, ethics, and morality.
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