Ralphie Rough Road

Have you ever noticed many people seem afraid of change?  I often wonder why. Sure change can be sudden as with death, loss of a job, or a divorce.  Yet most times a change either unexpected or expected can bring about positive things in our lives.  A negative experience may lead to a good outcome but it may take a while to manifest.

Consider this for a moment.  What if change did not exist?  What if each day were exactly like the one before for our entire lives?  I think we can all agree that would be a boring life.

Change enriches our lives.  It makes us appreciate things especially when we lose them.  It allows us to feel and experience our world completely. Change is a part of our lives, this is a fact.

It is hard to embrace at times.  Especially when the change takes us by surprise. However, I would argue each “negative” or sudden change can lead to a learning experience.

For example, if you have the unfortunate luck to go through a divorce it can be stressful and depressing.  Yet in time, most divorcees recover and lead fuller lives than when married. Going through this tough time can lead to valuable insight into improvement of our relationships.  Divorce is rarely one sided. Both parties can learn a lot from this unfavorable experience.

In a world ever changing we must be willing and able to adapt more than ever before. Adapting to the latest technology is essential to living in our high-tech world. This is especially important for business owners.  If they are unwilling to change with the times, they may go out of business. It’s rare for a business to keep the same business model and stay successful over many years.

Changing and updating is just par for the course in today’s world. Yet we often hear someone say “that’s the way we have always done things”, in response to “why are things still like this”.

Sometimes it makes sense to keep things the same, if it’s working.  But an unwillingness to change when there is no good reason to stay the same is illogical.  Many things in our world are because that’s how it’s been for years. Sometimes we do not even know why we do things a certain way.  This can apply in medicine, politics, education, and more.

For example, I live in the state of Indiana.  Until about a year ago, we could not buy beer, wine, or liquor on Sundays.  Liquor stores and alcohol aisles at grocery stores were closed. You could still go to a bar, brewery, or winery and drink.  This law was in effect for over 80 years. It took several years of showing up on the ballot to make this change. Why? Many of us in the state asked the same question.  Is it because this is how it’s been for 80 years?  It never made sense to many of us.  Especially for those who lived close to a bordering state. Drive across the state line purchase your bottle of wine and go home.

What about marijuana?  I realize this is a controversial subject for some.  This post is not a debate about the pros and cons. But the fact remains alcohol is worse for your health by far yet its legal.  Marijuana has many medicinal properties yet it remains illegal in the US at the federal level and in several states.

Why?  All from a stigma that has been around for 75+ years. That information does not prove the negative effects of marijuana.  Yet this information has dictated our laws for far too long.  Regardless of where you stand on this issue, it makes sense to look at it purely from a medical and scientific standpoint.  Not through an outdated lens.

Change, something we all experience  many times throughout our lives. Without it our lives would be boring.  Yet many fear it or avoid it.

I for one love change.  I embrace it. It may not always be easy to see why something is happening the way it is but I always try to look past the change to see the positive underneath.

When I left my lab job of 8 years, I remember people asking if I was crazy.  “Why would you give up a steady, decent paying job? Aren’t you afraid of what might happen?”  Sure it was a risk. But it was worth it.  I could not imagine myself working that same job for the rest of my life.  It may have been stable income, but it was not the way I wanted to live.

I took the plunge and never regretted it.  Things are not perfect in my post lab life. But through this change I learned a ton.  My life is simpler and overall my happiness level is higher.

Without change we do not grow, learn, and evolve.  For some they are content with things to be the same.  It gives them comfort and stability.

That way of thinking is not for me.  I would rather take chances and see where it takes me.  Even if I falter at least I know the outcome of making a change.  Without ever leaping how can we know what lies on the other side?