Adaptation Is The Key To Growth

I think we can all agree that when growth stops, stagnation sets in, no matter what age we are at. I am not speaking of physical growth, but growth intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. When we cease to be open to growth in those areas, we are old beyond our years, if even in the early decades of life.

Change offers opportunities for growth, even though change is often seen in a negative light. There are few constants in life, but one of them is that change occurs. The sooner we accept that fact, and even better, embrace it, the better off we are going to be. To resist the inevitable causes bitterness, anger, and apathy, none of which contribute to positive personal growth.

But, if we accept that change will always occur, if we look for signs of change, and ready ourselves for the challenge of change, we can experience personal growth in ways we cannot begin to imagine. To live in such a manner means we are present in the moment, alert to every detail, and just as nicely, we are also looking to the future with happy anticipation.

It's true for many of us that as we age, we become more resistant to change. After all, the way we have done things has worked for us so far; what would be the point of doing it differently? But that is just the kind of thinking we must guard against. What if there is a different way of looking at, or doing something? That doesn't negate what we have done in the past, but to ignore something simply because it is new is "old ignorance." That type of thinking is what has stereotyped older adults for generations.

To be open to change is to challenge our fears of the unknown. But we can look at it another way; change offers us an adventure, and, if we embrace it, the fear can be channeled into a feeling of excitement, or at least, positive anticipation. The older we become the more fears we have faced head on in our lives; we are more ready to accept the challenge than our younger counterparts because we have a history of success. We also have a history of some failures, but we have much more trial and error experience than our juniors, and to be human is to have both failures and successes.

The world is changing every day, and while we may not like all the changes that are occurring, we cannot impact those changes if we don't stay informed and alert. That is the essence of life and no matter how old or young we are, if we are ready for the challenges change offers, we are vital and alive.

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