4 November

The Power of Change

by Jon Katz

  November 4, 2009 – If I have a strong element of faith, it is perhaps my belief in the notion of change. Change is critical to our ability to survive and grow in a complex world. It is a central element in creativity, in building relationships, in adapting hard times, in overcoming adversity. By and large, the people I know in the world who can change are happier and more productive. They are surviving and then some.
  Change is not in itself a panacea of miracle cure. All change isn’t good by any means.
  But our ability to change and react in productive, creative and positive ways defines us, and much of ourselves. It is something we can control. It builds confidence in our ability to cope and adapt. In my personal life, and my work, I have been called upon frequently to change. Sometimes it is painful, sometimes destructive. Sometimes it is rewarding and challenging.
  We will all be faced with pain, loss and fear at some point.
  I have been through layoffs, corporate traumas, wild swings in the marketplace.  I’ve worked in journalism and for TV News. I’ve lived in many different places. I moved to a farm.
  I’ve written fiction, media criticism, mysteries, non-fiction books, memoirs, and now, children’s books and fictions. Each of these involved a lot of change.
  I am not proud of all these changes. There were too many. Some of them were poorly thought out, impulsive, or angry. Some damaged myself and other people. But I am learning, I think, how to change in more productive and creative ways. And it’s become an important notion to me, because I understand that I cannot protect myself from the harsh realities of the world, no matter what I might wish or want to do. I can learn how to respond to them, though.

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