You and Change
How to deal with Change
by
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Nothing is different about us having to live with change. What has altered very dramatically in the past decades is that, changes are now imposed upon us so rapidly that we hardly have time to digest and adapt ourselves to one new idea, before we are confronted with the next one. We find ourselves having to re-adjust our thoughts and patterns of behavior over and over again. This can be very disconcerting and tiring, for those of us who are accustomed to dealing with change, or even for characters that thrive on change. This, however, can be very traumatic for those of us who have been lulled into an easy comfortable existence. Rapid changing circumstances demand that we readjust our outlook, our expectations and values. Most of us find it very difficult to let go of all that we cherish, even though that which we cherish sometimes brings us frustration and resignation. We tend to hang on stubbornly, refusing to acknowledge the new, the unfamiliar, we hold on to our old habitual thoughts and behavior patterns and our life becomes an endless state of hardship, struggle and failure. Major discoveries in science and technology are being made every day, taking giant leaps forward unfathomable to the average person. We all, therefore, owe it to ourselves to keep ourselves informed, to educate ourselves and not only to understand but also to accept and to act accordingly. We owe it, just as much to our children, our families; our friends and business associates and we owe to society that we accept these changes so that we can contribute our share to life constructively. As the globe shrinks in size our own personal point of view needs to expand. We have to learn to be tolerant of cultures, languages, religions and beliefs that so far have been totally foreign to us. We are expected to empathize with people with whom we have up to the present, nothing in common with, and we are required to understand, tolerate or accept to share our way of life with them. All changes personal, economical and global, will influence us personally and will leave a mark in our emotions and the only way for each one of us to deal with such times of extreme changes, is by concentrating and making an individual effort to look and face ourselves. We need to re-educate and prepare ourselves individually to learn to adapt, and this radical transformation in us, has to come from deep within ourselves. The direction is in the consciousness of humanity towards the fusion of the individual with the whole, without losing at the same time the sense of individuality. The focus is on individual inner transformation. Everything we see, hear and feel, everything we consider as good or bad on the outside, is the result of our own inner transformation. If we observe ourselves our speech, our attitude and the reaction of others we will soon realize that according to our own behavior, we are either increasing our problems or we are helping to solve them. If we watch this part of our lives carefully we will soon be aware of the many opportunities life offers us and the many that we miss. Constructive thoughts and constructive actions do not only make us personally happier but also all of those who are around us as well. Our family, our friends, society and everyone we come in contact with. It requires effort to keep up with change. It calls for will power, determination and persistence. It takes courage to step out of self-imposed limitations and to face your true self. It also requires an open mind, patience and flexibility to recognize the many opportunities that life is continuously offering you. The focus is, therefore, on none other than the ‘Self.’ The ‘Self’ which is intangible, invisible but a very real part of you, imprisoned in matter, your physical body, it has to be freed and allowed out of matter and darkness and into the light. The Self can only manifest itself through your physical body. No transformation is possible unless you can face and accept your inner true self with all your weaknesses and your strengths. Transformation on the outside is the result of transformation on the inside. Whatever phase of change is confronting you, there are only two choices. You either choose to be passive, stubbornly ignoring and change or you can actively take matters into your own hands and take control of your life.
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About the Book
You and Change
We harbor change like a vessel. We are the recipients as well as the motor of change. ‘The universe is sometimes called the big man and human is sometimes known as the small universe.’ This book has been written with a deep enthusiasm for the changes we are currently undergoing and with a strong belief in the power of each individual to contribute to the game between ‘The Big Man’ and the ‘The Small Universe.’ This is a practical handbook on how to refine our human powers as actors and recipients of change as we are experiencing a revolution of the individual.
About the Author
Margo who was born and raised in Baghdad, was educated in Arab, French, British, Swiss and American schools. She experienced several extreme personal and cultural changes in her life. At the end of her teenage years the family, because of a civil war in Baghdad, moved to London. Two years later she married a Swiss, moved to Switzerland where she gave birth to her three daughters. While adapting to the Swiss life, marriage, and children, she embarked in her mid-twenties on a business career. In her mid-thirties, she moved with her children to the United States where she spent the next fourteen years. In Manhattan, she continued to be active in the international business world and soon she joined the adult student force and continued with her education attending university. She completed a bachelor's degree in international economics, international banking and in psychology. In 1990 she left New York and returned to Switzerland. Being of Syrian/Indian origin and growing up in the Arab Christian/Moslem/Jewish culture of Baghdad and Damascus, plus the influence of the Indian Hindu culture through her father, it is not surprising that the metaphysical world and spirituality have always been a very real, natural and integrated part of Margo’s daily life. She is also an avid student of religions and believes strongly that all major religions bring us the same important message in different forms and languages. Margo also believes in continued adult education and she is convinced that the source of her limitless energy, youthfulness and good health is her active, constructive and creative life style. The first self-transformation she was aware of was when she moved from the Eastern to the Western culture. The second major painful transformation she experienced was at the end of her fourteen years of marriage. It was in New York when she was in her forties, that Margo, who is also an accomplished artist, experienced yet another major transformation in her being. This manifested in her artwork changing from impressionism to abstract art overnight. Art and painting is food and exercise for her soul. The acquisition of book knowledge and writing is her mental food and exercise and these are just as important as the food and exercise for her physical body. Margo currently counsels, lectures, holds workshops on spiritual development. Margo likes to quote a Sufi Master called Hujwiri who wrote: ‘there are three forms of culture:
worldly culture,
the mere acquisition of information;
religious culture,
following rules;
and the elite culture – Self Development.’