Are You Truly Committed to Change?

President-Elect Barrack Obama's campaign was fuelled by the prospect of change - positive change. However, I'm not fully convinced that the masses are fully aware that in order to create the change they so desire to see that they as individuals have to change. This is the key to thriving during this current economic recession. As was once said:

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

But the problem is that people generally resist change.

Keith Cunningham said that:

"Growth is change and most people scared to death to grow."

Isn't that ironic? According to the Law of Polarity if we're not growing then by default we are dying. And yet we're going to die anyway so why do we resist change? Would it not make sense to embrace change and so make the most of our limited existence?

"Growth itself contains the germ of happiness."
Pearl S. Buck

The trouble is that we tend to be creatures of habit. I recently heard a speaker admit that he drove all the way to his office on a Saturday morning when he intended to go to the supermarket. He was definitely on autopilot.

Think of the many tasks you do on a daily basis. In many instances you do these tasks exactly as you've always done them and not necessarily because it’s the best and most efficient way to do. The mind and the body get used to the routine which initially may have been challenging but now…

The consequence is that you cease to grow and eventually decline sets in.

Now, I'm not saying that all habits are bad. The most successful people in the world all have routines that they adhere to. The thing is that within the routine itself they strive for continual improvement.

For example, if meditation is part of their success ritual they will look at ways to improve the manner in which they meditate. They may try different forms of meditation or they may extend the length of time or frequency of their meditation practice.

Now let's reflect again on societal change. Think for a moment of a huge stadium filled with thousands of individuals each holding sheets of card of different colours. These cards have been allocated according to seat number so that when, on cue, everyone displays their card an image is formed.

This technique has been used numerous times in stadiums around the world. One of the most memorable of these occasions was the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. However, if people didn't respond on cue or if they refused to participate then the image would not be complete. It would be flawed and the more people who abstain from participating the more marked the effect.

Now obviously it's impractical to expect everyone to be seriously committed to creating change. There will always be some people who will be stuck for some reason in their old ways. Sometimes is just an irrational fear of change that holds some people back.

However, if people in sufficient numbers are truly committed to positive change they will inspire others to do the same. And this rippling effect has the potential to spread across the world.

Just imagine every human being as a light source. The more they develop their positive energy the greater their light shines. And imagine that this light could be seen from outer space. If just a few people spread their light then it wouldn't be very noticeable. But if thousands and millions of people did so then imagine what the effect would be like.

You owe it to yourself, your family, your community, your country and the world to develop your talents, to grow and share your light. So embrace change and remember:

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead