We frequently hear that “people refuse to change because change is stressful.” I would like to suggest that not to change is even more stressful because the world is changing.

In 1917 the 100 largest corporations in America were identified and by 1998 only 15 of them were still in business. They had either disappeared entirely, merged with or been bought out by other companies. One of the companies I represented for eight years refused to change and as a result they simply “went under” and were eventually taken over. They sold an excellent product, but when new developments entered the field they stuck by their original product and the consumers took their business elsewhere.

Many marriages have been saved because the participants were willing to change their attitudes and behaviours. On the other hand, countless marriages have failed because the participants refused to make any changes at all, indulged in “the blame game” and, as a result, created intolerable conditions under which no one could live.

Many people today who have difficulty keeping jobs end up unemployed because they are unwilling to change. From my perspective the word “change” means “to grow,” or “to change from doing the wrong thing to doing the right thing.” On the growth perspective, Eric Hoffer said it extremely well: “In times of change the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” To this Tom Peters added, “Only those who constantly retool themselves stand a chance of staying employed in the years ahead.”

Yes, when we continue to grow it eliminates a lot of stress and helps build employment security, and security in all aspects of life.

Adapted from SOMETHING ELSE TO SMILE ABOUT by Zig Ziglar.