Create and Erode

Change is continuous

Nothing remains the same. It is only the amount of time it takes to see the changes that have already occurred. Thoughts continually arise, are influenced by the next thought, morph to new thoughts and ideas. The cells in the human, the plants, animals are continually dying off and new cells forming.

As humans we forget that we are in continual change, all moving toward the same big change we call death. When the change cannot be ignored because the pain of it’s reality is so great we are reminded abruptly, we suffer in wanting to hold on to the past.

I was an athlete sponsored by a few companies and doing other things on the side. Gradually my attention was pulled more and more into the other things. I stood looking at the box with new pieces of apparel from on of my sponsors and I sighed. I knew I was not giving as much to my athlete identity. I was spending more time raising my son and working. I felt the urge to hold on and the urge to let go at the same time. It was moment of recognition of how much I had changed.

Sometimes the change creeps up and there is a moment of realization and sometimes we are pushed into change whether we like it or not. The moment we recognize change is afoot, the space between what was and will be is flooded with uncertainty and discomfort. As Jim Collins would say, it is a fog where the future cannot yet be seen and the scope of vision is shortened. Jim’s recommendation is simple steps. Small moves. Nothing big and dramatic.

My recommendations:

• Take a breath.

• Focus on what can be learned from the past.

• Focus on calming the discomfort.

• Focus on who you want to bring with you to the future.

• Honour the part of who you were that you want to bring forward.