Earlier this year the Young Presidents Organization brought me in to speak during their trip to the Galapagos Islands where I was witness to an erupting volcano. It was one of the most violent, destructive events I’ve ever seen. But the next morning when we visited the other side of the island, we saw gorgeous mountains, valleys and ecosystems all created by volcanoes. The eruptions didn’t destroy the landscape; they just changed it.
When Charles Darwin referred to survival of the fittest (a term originally coined by Herbert Spenser), he didn’t mean the strongest survive. In fact, what he said was that “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
Our ability to embrace the here and now is vital to our survival. Our world is ever-changing. Yesterday’s methods will not be as effective today. This is why McDonald’s – a hamburger joint – now serves coffee drinks (and why Starbucks is starting to advertise on TV).
Change is scary because we don’t know what to expect. And if times are prosperous, change represents a threat. For this reason we can’t get too comfortable. At the same time, with change come new opportunities. To see them, we must keep our eyes and minds open.
Like it or not, change is going to happen and there’s no reason to judge it. Appreciate what you have, but don’t get used to it.
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