Recently, I made a new friend, and we met for a coffee and a chat. During the “Get to know you” part of our conversation, he shared an interesting story from his family history. The story graciously illustrates that change happens over time. Now, I don’t have enough room here to go into great detail, but I will share the highlights of this providential story.
His family originated in Ireland, and they were working-class farming people with big families who worked hard and had hard lives. The agrarian lifestyle meant everyone worked on the farm, and there was little time for education. If an educational opportunity existed, it was for the boys with little opportunity for girls.
Now, my friend’s Grandfather, his Mom’s Dad, had a brother who had no children but worked a farm in another part of Ireland. As the work became harder and harder for the childless couple, it was evident that they needed help. This is where change began. My friend’s Grandfather allowed his oldest son, the biggest and strongest, to go, live, and work on the childless couple’s farm. There was one condition: my friend’s Mom would go with the oldest brother, and she would be allowed to attend school and get an education. And that is what happened.
Fast forwarding to today, the decision made many years ago to ensure that my friend’s Mom got an education changed the course of history. Her education led to my friend’s education which led to his two sons’ education. There is a lot more to this story, but one thing is for sure: Change happens over time.
We live in a world where the pace of change has been accelerated. Some of the changes we are experiencing are good, and other changes are not so good. The desire to get instant results without weighing the long-term consequences is driving people to make decisions that they may regret. Hence, it’s important to remember that change happens over time. Why is this important?
Time is the great equalizer, and when you slow down, observe, gather, evaluate, discuss, and think about information, data, and scenarios, you begin visualizing a pathway forward. This pathway may be clear, or it may be full of challenges, but you are committed to doing what needs to be done to achieve the desired outcomes because you took the time to do the due diligence. Time can be 15 minutes or 50 years, but change is inevitable, and the best change happens over time.
At Doing Good at Work, we encourage and equip individuals, businesses, organizations, and non-profit leaders to embrace change. “Change Happens Over Time” is a simple but powerful idea, but we know through experience that managing change can be difficult. We are here to help, Visit Doing Good at Work. to learn more.
You are invited to become a participant in the Doing Good at Work movement. Participants receive bi-monthly communications on the first and third Mondays. They also have the opportunity to DO MORE GOOD by becoming a “Good Buddy.” Join the movement today!
Changing Together,
Boomer
Dr. Boomer Brown, Ph.D., is the CEO of Doing Good at Work. Doing Good at Work is a 501(c)3 organization that functions like a business. We desire to “Make People Better” because we know better people make better businesses and better businesses make a better world. Learn more: https://doinggoodatwork.com/