The Ability to Change

Nearly 250 years ago Thomas Paine - that great rabble rouser - put forth the notion that people have it within them to change the world. They can, he said, make change. Reverse course. Alter what is to what can or should be. At the time, Paine was trying to stir up the American colonists to rebel against England. (Spoiler alert: he succeeded.) His words remain timeless. People, individually and collectively, have the power to adjust, take different paths, or even stop one course of action and replace it with another. Yes, we are creatures of habit - I sure am - but that mainly is by choice. We can different choices to follow different habits.

On a more intimate level, Paine's words apply to each of us in terms of how we communicate. There are those, for instance, who do not listen all that well. They prefer putting forth their thoughts or ideas and not making much of an effort to hear what others might say. For no doubt multiple reasons, they communicate in a one-sided way because such a style is easy and works for them. But even those who are not inclined to listen to others, experience feelings of dissatisfaction that their interactions with others are not always as fulfilling as they might like. Even these folks have the ability to change. 

Not all interactions or exchanges go smoothly. Consensus or even mutual understanding is not always achieved. This is something that we all experience from time to time. But some men and women find themselves in non-satisfying interactions more often than they prefer. This is no way to live. Ideally, the majority of our exchanges should be successful. Each of has the intellect and internal energy to make that a regular part of our reality. So, if miscommunication seems to be too much of a part of one's daily life, then take heart and draw inspiration from the sentiments of Thomas Paine. The ability to initiate change is very much part of our DNA.