By Douglas Clark
Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
September! Now is the time when summer begins to wane and
give way to the turning leaves of autumn. The warm and glowing sun relinquishes
its hold on the day and ebbs toward early evenings and cool breezes. Begrudgingly,
children marshal their courage and corral their exuberance and ready themselves
for school. We all know it, some dread it. The fall is coming, it’s back to
school and we all feel the pangs of change and transition.
How we deal with change can really direct our lives, toward
the positive, or the negative. I have been told on many occasions that I can be
somewhat negative. I would argue that I’m more of a realist than pessimist. I
mean, statistics and averages exist for a reason. I don’t really see how it’s
being negative to point out what usually happens in a given situation. Ah but
see there’s the rub. Perhaps it’s not just being aware of the norms or
averages, but being more aware of the positive ‘what ifs’. Now I know to some
that might just be pie in the sky mentality. They might say being overly
optimistic is just setting yourself up for failure… but is it?
Think about this: those great men and women of history, the
ones that accomplished great things over great odds, do you think they
concentrated more on averages, statistics, and probable outcomes? Or did they
keep their mind’s eye on the solitary (and improbable) ‘what if’ goal they
truly wanted to achieve? I’d say they followed the pie in the sky mentality. Doing
the exact same thing everyday only gets you the exact same thing you’ve always
gotten. For me, after a while the same old same old becomes like an anchor. It
just drags and weighs me down. The thought of change came to me just a few days
ago when my daughter went back to school. She started 5th grade
and elementary school is almost over. I know for a child the transition isn’t
fully realized yet, but as an adult looking back, I understand it. Seeing that
change come for her forced me to examine where I’m going and how I want my life
to change. But you see, for the most part, I’m doing the same old same old and
as you’d expect, I’m getting the same result. Crazy right?!
Sometimes change is subtle, sometimes it’s blunt and brutal.
I’d say for the change we can control, directing it in the manner we chose is
imperative. I’m working on becoming a published author, but am I making the
changes necessary to achieve that goal? Yes and No. I need to focus more,
daydream less, stay motivated, and be more persistent. These are the changes I
need and have to make to achieve my goals. So now I just have to do it. What
about you? Are you focused enough to know what needs to be done? Or are you
languishing in myopic malaise? If you are, make a change! Even a small one
might knock the cob webs from your mind and let some sunshine it. But hurry,
autumn is upon us, and winter will soon be here. The sun will set ever earlier
and you’ll have to do your thinking in the dark.
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
