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Sandstone Falls, New River West Virginia
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.
Heraclitus
…or something like that. There is some scholarly debate regarding the translations of Heraclitus’s wise words, but that is not germane here. Wherever the above translation comes from, it makes a valid point. Sure it’s a bit philosophical, but that never hurt anyone. Well, maybe it did.
In a previous blog I threw out the idea of using the ever-present New River as a means of gaining perspective and maintaining some semblance of balance in my life. Imagine that the same, ubiquitous river that serves as my anchor in a hectic world can also be a useful metaphor for the continual flux of our lives.
Change comes in many forms: sometimes grandiose and abrupt while other times are incremental and subtle. We deal with change on a daily basis. Sometimes we don’t realize change has occurred until after the fact and sometimes we fret about change that we know is coming, but about which we can do nothing. We can embrace the change, leave the situation in which the change is occurring (work), or resist the change. Unfortunately, we often choose the last option – Resistance.
Say it ain't so, Locutus of Borg!
Resistance is not futile, but it sure isn’t a whole lot of party hats and chicken dancing either. So why are we more inclined to dig our heels in and make trouble?
We are creatures of habit. We like routines and we bow up when that change is threatened, regardless of whether or not the change is for the better. How many times can you look back at a change that you resisted and wonder what the fuss was about. Usually, once changes are made, we don’t look back.
Resistance to change occurs every day in all facets of life. This resistance is pervasive enough that hours upon hours of time are spent in the professional world to understand and combat it. I did a Google search on humans resist change and 9 of the top 10 results related to implementing change or combating resistance to change in the workplace.
This article in Scientific American touches on one reason change may be more difficult as we get older.
Yet even as people older than 30 yearn for what is new, many find themselves unable or unwilling to make fundamental changes in their lives. Researchers say this paradox can be largely explained by the demands of adult responsibilities and that unrealistic expectations may also play a part in thwarting our best intentions. Change is rarely as easy as we think it will be.
The Man with Two Brains
This article delves into the connection between our “two” brains, the regular one in our skull and the other one that resides in our gut and how fear may play a huge part in our resistance to change.
But what if fear was the key factor in resistance to change? And what if this fear was so deep inside of us it was almost invisible? Imagine a fear that runs under your radar, off your screen of awareness and is never, ever thought about consciously.
If this fear was the key factor in one’s resistance to change, then it would be the hidden driver behind so many behaviours that arise during change that we cannot easily logically explain. For the sake of simplicity and example, let’s say that it is a deep fear connected to our very survival – “If I change, I will die.”
Fear is most assuredly a huge component in our resistance to change. We can be afraid of everything from being left behind, failing or being exposed (on so many different levels). Egads! What can we do?
Probably the easiest and most effective way of coping with change is through meditation.
When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds up every day. When your mind is clear of distracting thoughts, you gain new perspectives and new ways of handling stress and other problems. You become more self-aware. You focus on the here and now — not on your ever-growing to-do list.
That sounds pretty good to me. I think I may just take a trip down to the river and clear my noggin.
Exploding Haystack at Fayette Station Rapid, New River West Virginia
Throughout the course of any day we are deluged with all kinds of situations requiring decision making and causing stress. In my opinion, it’s not necessarily the situation that directly causes the stress, but our ability (or inability) to deal with that situation. I know that when things seem bleak or overwhelming, it is usually because I am having difficulty taking a step back and looking at the situation objectively.
When I was in high school I remember being introduced to the concept of cosmic irony in English class as it referred to the “disparity between human desires and the harsh realities of the outside world (or the whims of the gods)”. The image at the beginning of this post shows the New River near Fayetteville, West Virginia at a very high flow. Looking at the rushing water, feeling and hearing the power of the water (45,000 cubic feet per second!) is a nice reminder that when all is said and done, the river will still be cutting its course through the Appalachian Mountains, making its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The significance of my problems is minimal at best. Unless I just give up (not possible), time will pass and I will make it through okay. This quote kind of sums it all up:
“The significance of man is that he is
that part of the universe that asks the
question, What is the significance of
Man? He alone can stand apart imaginatively
and, regarding himself and the universe
in their eternal aspects, pronounce a
judgement: The significance of man is
that he is insignificant and is aware
of it.”-Carl Lotus Becker,
Progress and Power, 1935
So if you’ve managed to keep reading this far you may be asking, “what’s your point?” And well you should be. The point is this, if you can maintain some semblance of perspective in your daily life, it can help you keep a more even keel (or paddle, if you want to keep it rafting-oriented) as you negotiate the pools and rapids of your life. If you occasionally feel like you are getting sucked down into the vortex, take some deep breaths and a step back.
Fayette Station New River West Virginia take out @ 15'
Let me leave you with this exquisite photo from National Geographic.
New River West Virginia at Dawn from National Geographic
