Why resist? by Chris Bowen

Transition can simply be defined as the process of changing from one state or condition to another. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant.” Change is not only essential—it is inevitable. Change is going to happen whether we like it or not. It is important for us to understand that we must keep up with shifts in order to succeed. This is not a new principle. We have seen it throughout history. When the Wright brothers flew the first plane in 1903 for the short distance of 852 feet—which lasted a mere 59 seconds—no one dreamed where aviation would be in the 21st century. When Henry Ford rolled out the first Model T automobile in 1908, people never thought the fad would last. Today, nearly 1.2 billion automobiles are driven in the world on more than 64 million miles of roadways.

Shifting our outlook on transition to a positive one is essential in order to thrive in these ever-changing times. Technology has transformed our lives in ways that we could have never imagined 50 years ago. Information is at our finger tips. We can communicate visually with people around the world. We have a computer, phone, calculator, banking system, map, stereo, dictionary, etc. confined in a device that fits in the palm of our hands. In order for this to become successful, someone had to think outside the box and convince others that it was possible.

Why do we resist transition? As a parent, we know our children go through developmental changes. They grow from infancy to toddlers; from toddlers to adolescence; from adolescence to teenagers; then from teenagers to adults. It would be selfish of any parent to want to stifle their child from the transitions necessary to becoming an adult. As much as we would like for time to stand still, we must realize it won’t.

As parents or people in general, we need to realize that transition is more than just change. It requires willingness to let go of what used to be and grasping what can be in order to grow into something bigger and better. Managing transitionrequires helping people to make that difficult process less painful and stressful. As Leah Busque said, “Life is like monkey bars: You have to let go in order to move forward.”

As we get older, we tend to be resistant change. It takes us out of our comfort zone and creates challenges that we are unfamiliar with. We must be willing to adapt to the unknown. Instead of sitting in our rocking chairs complaining about change, we need to embrace the transitions of life. The process of transition is often complicated but not impossible if you will commit to staying on course. The first and foremost step on the journey to successful transition is letting go of what used to be. This requires honest soul-searching and willingness to admit that it is indeed time to release your control of it.

Transition is not easy, but is required in order to live out your dream to the potential that God has destined for you.