Change

Change is unavoidable. Change is part of life. We can't avoid actual change. But the stage of change is somewhat of a luxury and a strength. Alligators don't really change. Sharks and alligators have survived for a very long time because they are efficient at living. They have basically one method and it works. In comparison, dogs can change some--they have a rudimentary ability to change. Viruses can change quickly, but this is not considered, intentional change, so it is different than what we do as humans. We have the luxury and strength of making intentional, creative, considered changes.

Very few people are actually interested in random changes. Sometimes we're so bored that it seems any change would be better than a continuation of the status quo. That's what we think because we aren't really considering changes such as getting gonorrhea, breaking my neck, having a retina or two detach--changes that affect people every day. The point is simple: people want progress. So when I talk about the stage of change, I'm talking about trying for progress.

As I've outlined the process, there are a few spots that people are particularly poor at changing in a positive way that supports a feeling of healthy continuity. Each of us is good at certain ways of changing, but we all have a great deal of unfulfilled potential. As a group, we have common blind spots. The stage of change involves recognizing those blind spots and addressing them. This is why I've said that you can't avoid your way into happiness. Happiness isn't something we can usually get by trying to be happy, but it is something we can improve by looking for progress and creating progress. In fact, it is amazing what hardships people will willingly put up with if they believe those hardships are faced in the service of worthy progress.

The single biggest change that I believe could improve our global culture is an increase in equanimity. But people rarely wake up with the thought, "I hope to be more equanimous today." For those that do, they often also have the feeling of, "I should be more equanimous today." That feeling of should, which goes along with the judgment and feeling that things are not good enough, does not fit with acceptance and equanimity. In other words, it doesn't work to tell myself or others, "We should encourage equanimity; we'll be better for it."

But everyone wants to feel inspired. Many of us feel, "I should feel inspired in this life." And I think there is some truth to that feeling. I think it is our birthright as humans to feel and enact that drive towards living inspired lives. To relate this to the stages I've just outlined, that means we want to change in the direction of being more inspired by what we do. Progress is progress towards inspiration (and perhaps beyond). Now, whether or not we agree on the large-scale importance of equanimity, I have yet to meet someone who wants to be uninspired. Equanimity by itself, then, is not the goal. But equanimity is one of the tools that helps us to achieve the goal.

In order to achieve this goal, it doesn't work to simply win the lottery. Inspiration that only happens to passive people tends not to last. In order to "own" a sense of resilient inspiration, we have to 1) work for it, and 2) deserve it. We work towards it by developing emotional resilience and applying equanimity training in the service of progress. We deserve it by pursuing it ethically.

All that may sound somewhat circular, but I'll point out the major blind spots in the process. The first major blind spot is not recognizing priming and change as unique stages with unique functions. When we don't work with these stages, we try to force (rush) change or we wait for it. The solution to this problem is to learn about these stages, their functions, and to practice being aware of when they're mostly absent or ignored in our lives.

The second major blind spot lies in the interaction between engagement and affirmation. When we see and experience these stages as too far from one another or as conflicting, we lack a feeling of continuity and act as if there is simply no way to address problems which have that feeling of drive or lack of drive. The solution here is more complex and depends upon how exactly one experiences this problem. Essentially, though, struggling here means we need to integrate the two types of processing, top-down and bottom-up.

The third major blind spot lies in our ignorance concerning how to recognize and deal with shock and overwhelm. Again, there is no solution I can sum up in a sentence or two, but we already have much information and wisdom concerning this problem. Research and continued attention will help us progress in this area.

The fourth major problem lies in the stage of affirmation: ambiguity. Ambiguity is like the opposite of equanimity, like retarded equanimity. Ambiguity occurs when we want to avoid something unpleasant that we simply must do, when we are confused and do not want to explore further in order to move beyond confusion, and when the situation is simply too complex to gain any solid grip on. The solutions, then, are to do what needs to be done, explore in order to understand and overcome, or train in equanimity. Mindfulness training makes a significant difference in all these solutions. When facing procrastination, holding oneself accountable and facing what we want to avoid must be included. This involves some degree of intelligence and courage.

As individuals, we can face these challenges by developing the major attentional abilities I have outlined elsewhere: responsiveness, concentration, intentional relaxation, mindful appreciation, inspiration, harmony, and serenity. As a species and global village, the solutions are similar, but at a cultural level rather than a personal/personality level. It is generally recognized that we humans are the greatest danger facing humanity right now. Dangers are engaging, enlivening, redeeming when we do not support avoidance of our potential--when we engage, live, redeem. The most significant human characteristic is the ability to change; progress occurs when we turn difficulty into inspiration.