Change and Adaptability

by Jayaram V

Are you aware of any changes that may be happening to you? Have you noticed any differences between who you were yesterday and what you are now? Are there any changes that might have happened to you or about you since yesterday or a day before? In the last few hours of days have you learned anything new, or gained any new perceptions or new knowledge?

It is true that the human mind does not record many things which it considers inconsequential or irrelevant for survival. As a result much of what happens to you remains either unconscious or inconspicuous. In the noise and distractions of daily life, it is also very difficult to keep track of the minute changes that continuously happen to you.

You may keep abreast of the significant events, gains and losses that arise in your life, but most probably you do not notice the little changes that keep happening to your mind and body, molding your life, thinking, perceptions, attitude, beliefs, relationships, and your very personality. Practically speaking it may not be even necessary to know everything that happens in your life because you may not gain much from that vast knowledge.

However, it may be necessary to live with certain self-awareness, sensitivity, and introspection and develop the ability to foresee how your future may shape up by the current events. Occasionally, you have to review your progress to know where you are going, how you are working towards your goals or purpose.

Many people become caught in the mundane aspects of life, and do not notice any changes that happen to them. For them life is one continuous or monotonous phenomenon, which they take in their stride and move on without giving much thought about it. They rather unconsciously tend to ignore the changes that happen to them or around them, as they prefer stability and continuity to change and uncertainty. As a result, they remain stuck in their past as well as in their habitual and fixed ways of thinking and acting, which compromises their adaptability and flexibility to adjust to the reality of their lives.

If you want to experience the richness and diversity of life, you must remain flexible and adaptable and be wary of your beliefs and prejudices, since they have the tendency to freeze your mind and limit your vision. It is equally important to remember that change is inevitable and inescapable. You cannot do much about changing the transient nature of life. However, you can learn to accept change and bear with it without being disturbed by it. It is the best you can do about change of any kind that manifests in your life and transform your very being and existence.