Even though it's been years since I've reported to a cubical, and therefore was subjected to the cheerful HR posters that lined the hallway en route to the bathroom, a number of those cliches still rattle in my brain.
For example, "The only thing constant is change." This gets trotted out every time something new happens that we don't like. It's a thin blanket on a cold night.
Allegedly this wisdom was chiseled on to a marble HR tablet by the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus. It has since been repurposed as a suck-it-up directive expressed prior to an unsavory job reassignment or termination of employment.
The reality is, however, that our daily routines are rather constant, only intermittently interrupted by change. My family, friends, and even source of income rolls along somewhat predictably. Yes, some months are better than others. And I've never had two tacos that tasted the same. Then, when lightening does strike, we act like this is an ongoing experience as we run for cover.
I've seen a lot of change this year. Yet, when I add up the biggies, I can count them on one hand. That's not constant. That's occasional. My experience with change is that it's uncomfortable at first, sometimes even frightening. Then I address the issue, recalibrate, and make the best of it. Sometimes I even initiate change.
The way I look at it is this: if you have your health, anything is possible. It's like when the doctor says, "this is going to pinch a little." That's code for it's really going to hurt. But then the pain subsides, and I get better.
So, I want to augment this centuries-old saying. Here's what I'm going to chisel on my tablet: "If Change is Constant, Why Am I Still Wearing the Same Shoes?"
Yeah. Drop that one on your coworkers the next time they whine.
-Derrick
