Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death. ~Anais Nin
What if resistance to change was really resistance to life?
By seeking to preserve a single state – a successful state — whether we’re talking about our lives as individuals or whether we’re talking about the life cycle of a business, we’re really seeking a kind of death.
Life is about motion, action, expansion, contraction. Life is risky. Death is a sure thing.
The way we communicate on the web requires us to live more every day as a means of getting things done; we engage, listen, adapt, restate, amend, send, receive, grow, change.
The old way – the way of lists and mechanized, repeatable distribution processes with text that spoke to no one was a lot like death.
Yet, rather than embracing the new life within new methods of communication, so many simply seek new ways to die.
They seek new formulas, proclaim new dogmas, force new processes and measurements that miss the point. They count their number of followers on Twitter and manipulate the definition of PR “hits” so they can keep counting those, too.
Why do we not feel liberated? Why do we resist the inherent life in our work?
I saw Brian Clark‘s super smart presentation at SOBCon earlier this month and he told everyone there that being successful at this stuff isn’t about what’s right or wrong, but about what works.
The best thing he can do is to share what works for him.
The best thing we can do is listen — not so we can all go out and repeat the exact same steps — but so we can extract and integrate the stuff that will work for us and ultimately let it go when it doesn’t anymore.
Photo by law_keven
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I just like being open to the possibilities that something I am doing could be really really wrong. I am constantly looking for new solutions that could be better then my current answers to a problem I am having. Adaptation and the ability to shift mid-stream is a key component to everything that I do here. I’m constantly learning…and wouldn’t do anything to change it. Except turn up the pressure on the fire hose ;).
Keeping yourself loose and easy is what keeps us from growing stale (on a personal and professional level). Moreover, by keeping yourself flexible allows you to see changes in the horizon – you’re able to anticipate and move a little ahead of the impending wave.
A Great Reminder & Rockin Post, Shannon!
I just really like this post.
“If change is a constant, then adaptability is a variable.”
I’ve personally found this principal holds true in all important areas of life. Particularly as we witness an entire global economy go through a series of sometimes painful and often intense changes. Those that will survive (and even thrive) under such circumstances will be the ones most accepting of change and willing to adapt to what comes next. Professionally and personally.
Bravo, Shannon!
I really like the thought of adapting to change. I am with an organization that thrives on it. They are a start up and they take into consideration everything I mention to them. Which is enlightening because I was with a different organization which didn’t like what I was trying to do.
They would put the blog posts off until they were out of date and it just didn’t seem like they wanted to adapt to change.
Change is good. I always knew I wanted to be in communications but I didn’t know I would wind up where I am today.
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