Change is Indubitable, whereas Progress is a matter of Controversy
Over the past couple years, I have grown to expect small markers of my absence whenever I come home. Different cereal, new bowls, new CDs in the car, new junk stored in my room -- nothing newsworthy. My return home in May was nothing different. My mom had discovered the frozen Yoplait Smoothie-In-A-Bag (just add milk!) and was advocating it as the next best thing since sliced bread.
Some background: Anyone who has spent a summer day in my house has tasted my mom's famous smoothies. Made with fruits and liquids that one would never think to combine, no two blends have ever tasted the same. But every single one guarantees a burst of flavor.
Needless to say, my mom's high praise for the Yoplait Smoothie-In-A-Bag was met with my obstinate resistance. Packaged with streamlined consistency (frozen yogurt and a certain number of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries), this one bag, which, according to my mom was easy and delicious, would single-handedly put an end to an era so near and dear to my heart.
It can be said that the life-made-easier smoothie is just a microcosm of the world of change that is opening doors for us each day. If things are becoming easier and easier, how come we insist on making our lives more and more difficult?
Behavioral change is easier said than done. Underlying the fright, public criticism, and personal principle is the comfort. We are so set in our ways, in what is comfortable, that we are reluctant to give the new kid on the block a run for his money.
What happens if we actually like this new phenomenon? We then live with the embarrassment of having done it the "more difficult way" or the "wrong way" for all these years. How can that possibly be justified? Without giving the new way a shot, cognitive dissonance is maintained at an all time low.
Okay, so what happens if by some stroke of insanity we decide to see what all the excitement is about? Our initial experience with a new product is stressful, confusing, time-consuming, and frustrating (some more than others). It makes us wonder if the change is worth it. Is it worth emailing all your Hotmail contacts to tell them that you now have Gmail? Is it worth physically typing all your contacts' phone numbers into a new phone? Is it worth searching name after name in a quest for friends to follow?
We remain steadfast to beliefs. Even if we're not quite sure of the specifics of those beliefs anymore. We argue that there is a quaint, romantic charm in the "old ways." But when you finally realize that there is a whole world out there, thriving without you, it's less than comfortable.
Don't tell my mom, but I am now a fan of the frozen Yoplait smoothie packs. They're delicious as-is, but are equally delectable when you throw in fruits of your own to mix things up. They are indeed very easy. Much easier than buying boxes of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and fighting to eat them all before the fungus kicks in. I was so wrapped up in asking, "why?" that I completely overlooked the even more enlightening, "why not?"
Yes, what we know can harm us. But so can what we don't know. Motivate yourself to explore. Once in a while, take a step out of the box and look around. Because as you grow, that box is only going to get smaller.
Some background: Anyone who has spent a summer day in my house has tasted my mom's famous smoothies. Made with fruits and liquids that one would never think to combine, no two blends have ever tasted the same. But every single one guarantees a burst of flavor.
Needless to say, my mom's high praise for the Yoplait Smoothie-In-A-Bag was met with my obstinate resistance. Packaged with streamlined consistency (frozen yogurt and a certain number of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries), this one bag, which, according to my mom was easy and delicious, would single-handedly put an end to an era so near and dear to my heart.
It can be said that the life-made-easier smoothie is just a microcosm of the world of change that is opening doors for us each day. If things are becoming easier and easier, how come we insist on making our lives more and more difficult?
Behavioral change is easier said than done. Underlying the fright, public criticism, and personal principle is the comfort. We are so set in our ways, in what is comfortable, that we are reluctant to give the new kid on the block a run for his money.
What happens if we actually like this new phenomenon? We then live with the embarrassment of having done it the "more difficult way" or the "wrong way" for all these years. How can that possibly be justified? Without giving the new way a shot, cognitive dissonance is maintained at an all time low.
Okay, so what happens if by some stroke of insanity we decide to see what all the excitement is about? Our initial experience with a new product is stressful, confusing, time-consuming, and frustrating (some more than others). It makes us wonder if the change is worth it. Is it worth emailing all your Hotmail contacts to tell them that you now have Gmail? Is it worth physically typing all your contacts' phone numbers into a new phone? Is it worth searching name after name in a quest for friends to follow?
We remain steadfast to beliefs. Even if we're not quite sure of the specifics of those beliefs anymore. We argue that there is a quaint, romantic charm in the "old ways." But when you finally realize that there is a whole world out there, thriving without you, it's less than comfortable.
Don't tell my mom, but I am now a fan of the frozen Yoplait smoothie packs. They're delicious as-is, but are equally delectable when you throw in fruits of your own to mix things up. They are indeed very easy. Much easier than buying boxes of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and fighting to eat them all before the fungus kicks in. I was so wrapped up in asking, "why?" that I completely overlooked the even more enlightening, "why not?"
Yes, what we know can harm us. But so can what we don't know. Motivate yourself to explore. Once in a while, take a step out of the box and look around. Because as you grow, that box is only going to get smaller.
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