Change. What comes to your mind when you hear that change is imminent? What emotions spring up? If you are like most of us, change is anxiety-provoking. I think resistance to change is hard-wired into our DNA at some low level, much like the fight-or-flight survival mechanism mediated by our autonomic nervous system. No point beating ourselves up about it. But fortunately, we also have the capability to be self-aware, to not give in to our gut instincts, to rise above them.
There are several reasons that people react to change badly. One is fear of the unknown. Suddenly they are in uncharted territory, quicksand, whatever metaphor you'd like to use, out of their comfort zone and unsure how to proceed. What if I make a mistake? they agonize. Perhaps they dread the work that will be involved in adjusting to a new paradigm. Or they have a lot invested in the old reality. But the biggest reason, in my opinion, is that most of us are already pushing the needle to the red, as Yes so eloquently put it. We are working, living, playing as fast and hard as we possibly can. There is neither time nor energy left to figure out change, much less adapt to it. So much easier to withdraw, deny, resist, even piss and moan about it in the futile hope that convincing others of our perspective will make it go away. Guess what? All that effort spent resisting change is way more than the effort required to embrace it!
And speaking of change, I am happy to report that the world did NOT come to an end on Saturday 5/21. At least, quite a few of us are still here, the blogs seem to be rolling in as usual. And I would be willing to bet big bucks that it won't end in December of 2012 either. Pretty safe bet though...how would you collect if I'm wrong, lol!
On the other hand, from another perspective, the world (as we know it) comes to an end every day; a new one begins tomorrow. No two days are exactly alike. Change is the one constant in our lives. How funny that something so integral to the nature of existence is so widely feared and resisted.
Furthermore, and more importantly, neither has AR come to an end as a result of all the recent changes happening here. It doesn't really even seem very different. I don't doubt that changes will be forthcoming, and maybe not all of them will work out. That's ok! Now that I have overcome my initial anxiety, I say bring it. Let's see what you've got! "It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine." :)
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