Inevitable changes

When changes are inevitable, we are in a position to let them happen and support their emergence. It's unusual for human nature to take this approach however. As Steve Roesler said insightfully in a comment on Fallout from a system:

Attaching undue importance to something that is inherently natural creates angst when angst is least desired. Indeed, the human condition will respond by acting and reacting in ways that are counterproductive to the task at hand.

Inevitable changes prove to be disastrous when we cling to the status quo. Emergent changes involve creative destruction as well as the replacement of current structures with better systems. They offer the choice between jumping ship or going down with the ship. They define past success as imminent failure and obvious losers as the way to win. The "first become last and the last become first" when inevitable changes are taking effect.

Going with the flow of inevitable changes calls for letting go of our established sources of security, stability and reputation. These changes transform our clinging into suffering, insistence into stupidity and determination into self-defeat.

I've wondered about the nature of our ability to let go for many years. It seems to require being clear of fear. It appears to be more prevalent when we have a deep reflective practice. It helps to have done some "pre-sensing" to get a sense of what the future holds.

Inevitable changes are usually drastic. They "change everything" rather than making slight adjustments. They are unforeseeable down in the trenches because they change the entire landscape above the day-to-day struggles. Inevitable changes prove to be "life-changing" openings to entirely new ranges of possibilities. They are very threatening when we are "on the take" of a system of exploitation, profiteering and dependency on the status quo.

Inevitable changes translate into manageable steps when seen as an evolving process. Every taxonomy I've proposed on this blog shows ways to take things a step a step at a time and trust the process all along. When we can see the phases we're going through, we can stop clinging to the past and trusting our fears to keep us out of danger.