Change = k

The intent of writing in this forum by me is to share my experience on topics of my interest, this one too falls under that category but of a different classification.

Recently one of my ex-team member called me for a career guidance on his forthcoming new employment offer and off-late I am getting calls seeking direction on their presumption ( better term is ignorance) that I will be able to add value.

Normally I will never influence a person’s decision whereas discuss all the positives and shortcomings and leave the art of decision making to the owner.

During and after the discussion, I find a common issue among seekers,where the resistance to change supersedes the decision making of the individual, here the change not only refer to new job but all those that requires any shift from present. Thus arose this under the header borrowed from Greek philosopher.

Vairamuthu in Kochadaiyan" மாற்றம் ஒன்றுதான் மாறாதது ; மாறுவதெல்லாம் உயிரோடு; 
மாறாததெல்லாம் மண்ணோடு"

Change is necessary for ALL, that includes Living, Non-living and natural things. Is required both at work and at home. But you can feel the change only if you change.

Everything and everyone experiences change at some point of time and with respect to something. I agree that destiny determines but that alone cannot retard this major decision making exercise.But before indulging the current state, we need to ruminate lot of questions like

How to Change? Why to Change? And When to? These questions helps to embrace change and its impact. Let me identify some generic answers…that does not restrict to..

Change is fused with time and time stops for no man it marches forward and drags change along with it and if you fail to follow then you have to repent the decision. I believe that we must adapt better, if we are to succeed else the failure is inevitable. Of course, it’s difficult to change our routines initially but, once we take the first courageous steps to change, a bright and challenging future awaits. Once you are ready and completed your upskilling you have to march ahead. Embracing change without upskilling is asking for failure.

Numerous examples can be cited where big organizations have nosedived due to the failure in identifying solutions for the above 3. These have to live on their past glory. Nokia is great example.

So when we probe further on the failure to identify the need for change, the foremost one to prop up is fear associated with change. Everybody likes permanency in their life, often permanency is marked with stability and change is marked with mystery. But usually what follows permanency is monotony and what follows change is revolution. I agree that with permanency, an air of stableness is maintained but for how long does that stableness last?

Embracing and welcoming change is what makes people leaders and winners. Because they understand the fact that nothing stays forever and even if it stays forever it loses its charm it once had.

Change at first instance may not seem good, but it has hidden treasure. We need to be a little braver and a little more experimental you would find yourself at ease with change. Change brings people together, makes us smarter, opens up our minds and broadens our vision. Change brings with it opportunities to rise and shine. Change is good, so embrace it, love it and make it yours.

The best example for change which we all embraced throughout our life is our own physical change. We undergo various change physical, mental, social etc. We don’t look the same all our life. We grow in height till a certain age, intelligence, changing waistlines, greying hair etc., we learn and experience a lot with time. Socially we change a lot, meet new people every day and with present day socializing ways (Facebook), our social status changes by leaps and bounds. Some changes are by nature and some we equip ourselves and some we get infused knowingly or unknowingly.

I quote myself as an example, if someone had told me about my present stature a decade ago the first one to laugh would be me followed by my teen hood associates . Even now some heart specialist can try by sharing my current state with my teachers, sure they get lot of customers.

Options are vested with us, it is we who decide. A larva cannot taste a honey if it was to stay forever as larva or associate with change process and become a beautiful butterfly from an ugly larva. The premium we pay for the jewelry when compared to gold bar is the price for the change it embraced from goldsmith.

We will be compelled to adopt some changes, for example the oldies have started adapting to computer, smart phone and applications associated with it. Though various reasons are associated for these adoption the primary one being the fear of left in deep jungles in this communication era.
“Change is difficult not changing is fatal”.

When they can adapt for few why not experiment more to embrace?

Would like to end with Thirukural
செய்தக்க அல்ல செயக்கெடும் செய்தக்க
செய்யாமை யானுங் கெடும்.

Meaning- செய்யக்கூடாதவற்றைச் செய்தாலும் செய்ய வேண்டியவற்றைச் செய்யாமல் விட்டாலும் அழிவு வரும். One will perish if he/she does, what is not fit to do by them and also perish if they fail to do what is fit for them.

எண்ணித் துணிக கருமம் துணிந்தபின்
எண்ணுவம் என்பது இழுக்கு.

Meaning - ஒரு செயலைச் செய்து முடிக்கும் வழியை அறிந்து தொடங்குக. தொடங்கியபின் அது பற்றி எண்ணிக் கொள்வோம் என்பது குற்றம்.. Consider and then undertake a decision; after having undertaken it, to contemplate is stupidity.