By Jason Cascio
Change is in the air. Can you smell it? Whether we like it or not, summer and our vacations are becoming fast memories as we make room for back-to-school activities and new fall routines. Social media confirms a quarterly shift in seasons, from Facebook posts of exciting new classes and sporting events, to the sad, yet proud, goodbyes from parents sending their kids off to college. Kierkegaard tells us that life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forward (1855). It’s tempting for us to hold onto what was lost, and perhaps, naively embrace new beginnings. Yet, Kierkegaard suggests we lead lives beyond the confines of our inflection points. Perhaps, we honor our pasts as we continue to grow forward. What do you think?
For me, September marks the end of a hectic fiscal work year which was accompanied by unexpected personal goodbyes. While I’m glad to turn the page to a new chapter in my life, I’m intrigued by life’s transitions and paradoxical feelings of loss and gain, and joy and blue. Dan Millman’s book on personal development, In Way of the Peaceful Warrior, reminded me that “the secret of change is to focus your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” He reinforces Kierkegaard’s philosophy and relates it to our collective development.
Change Management Guru and Author, William Bridges, distinguishes transitions from changes, in that changesare results of external events whereas transitions are internal experiences for how we respond the change. He elaborates that, “change is situational; transition is psychological. It’s not those events but rather the inner reorientation or self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life. Without a transition, a change is just rearranging the furniture. And unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t ‘take.’” Regardless of our season or stage of life, reframing how we view change and transition may help us as transformational leaders. Here’s a handy diagram of Bridges’ views of change management:
If we can positively harness change, why wouldn’t we seek out incrementally more ways to transform our lives? Technology could be used as a benevolent change agent, or tool, for us to use as transformational leaders. Why not incorporate it into our living repertoire to promote healthy change and transitions? I think of this often when I’m taking off from West Palm to Seattle, shooting up 40,000 feet at 400 miles an hour. Ok, in that scenario it’s hard not to think of the speed of change around us, the opportunities it creates for our development, and how ‘living forward’ with my South Florida peeps was transforming my life and that of others on the other side of the country. In all seriousness, looking at change from this metaphorical altitude provides a whole new perspective. I’d love to hear your thoughts on change, technology, and our collective development.
Bridges, William (2004). Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes (2nd ed.). Da Capo Press.
Millman, D. (2006). Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives by Dan Millman, (2nd ed.) H J Kramer, Inc., Tiburon, California, New World Library, Novato, California.