THE PARADOX OF THE CHANGE AND THE CHANGELESS

"Old ways won't open new doors."

-    Unknown

“In the end, nothing will change,

but, everything will.”

This was a line from one of my earlier books by the title – ‘The Cheetah’.

Read it again… Does it sound familiar?

Have you heard this: “All things in this world change… but, not the Principles”?

And this: “The changing times and the unchanging God”?

The only thing constant is the change itself. Yes, we have heard this, too… So, the times we live in is like the river we have stepped into… It’s a new experience… Yes, we cannot step into the same river twice, as it is said…

We forget, that living sensibly means living with all the paradoxes Life throws up before us… We just need to smile and move on with the flow… yes, often, join the dance!

Do you remember how we all felt whenever our parents preached with “In our times…”?  And, don’t we see what faces our own children put forth when we preach them with our own “In-our-times stories”?

Frankly, there is nothing called “Our times” … The world is ever changing… Life and living call for our ability to accept the changes… and, yes, join the dance!

Agreed: the Principles don’t change… Stephen Covey made this truth famous through the lighthouse story and called the ‘constants in life’ as the ‘Lighthouse Principles’… (Read this story in his books: ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ and ‘The 8th Habit’) …

Our spiritual gurus may tell us the same truth, by paraphrasing it as, “The times change; but, the God doesn’t” …

Like it, or don’t like it… Believe it, or don’t believe it… Accept it, or just leave it, Sir…

Two days ago, my friend, Meera, shared with me this widely popular piece of writing…

THE PARADOX OF OUR TIME

The paradox of our time in history is that –

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways,

but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences,

but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge,

but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine,

but less wellness. 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly,

laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late,

get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much,

and pray too seldom. 

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. 

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. 

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information,

to produce more copies than ever,

but we communicate less and less. 

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,

big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce,

fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality,

one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything

from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window

and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you,

and a time when you can choose either to share this insight,

or to just hit delete... 

This beautiful piece of writing has been in circulation for decades. Who was the original author of it has been a big mystery… Some say it’s Dr. Bob Moorehead.  Some say it’s Dalai Lama… Some say it’s a student from the West. Meera’s version had the famous American comedian, of yesteryear, George Carlin’s name on it…

Whoever authored it, just think of this: Is not its message constant for all times in life?

Life and living, as I said, shall always remain a paradox of the change and the changeless…

Therefore, come, join the dance!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.:depositphotos.com