Change is inevitable, basically mandatory, yet resistance to change is strong for many. What is so misunderstood is that people must be willing to change to achieve continuity. Without continuous readjustment, the present cannot continue. Change is the only way to protect what ever exists. By resisting change, we do not guarantee that whatever we care about will remain the same. It only assures that whatever we care about is being deprived of the very thing it needs in order to survive. It is ironic that resistance to change is a setup for the destruction of, what we hold dear.
Most often, what we want to continue came about and is in existence because of previous change. Without change we would not have, what it is, we are trying to hold on to. At one point, we made the necessary changes to get to this .So what is it that makes us so resistant to change?
Often to have something new, involves letting go of something old - something that can not be maintained if the new is to take place. Sometimes the new is delayed until the old has been let go. This is where people show their resistance. What if the new doesn't work, isn't what I want and now I've let go of the old? What if I made a mistake? Change is simply a situational shift. Yet a change can occur without the experience of a transition.
The real challenge involves making the transition. A transition is a 3- phase process that involves experiencing an ending, a somewhat neutral zone, and a return to a beginning. It is the process of letting go of the way things once were and then embracing the way they subsequently become.
This connection between here and there sometimes called the neutral zone can be chaotic. It can be a time of great confusion and uncertainty. It is this uncertainty that is so frightening for many. This is why you see people that complain about where they are or what they have, yet they remain regardless of the dissatisfaction. Although they are not happy, often this dissatisfaction is more comfortable than the unknown. This is why some make a change without experiencing a transition. However, frightening this unknown neutral zone can be, it also holds the potential for creativity. It opens up the possibilities. Often in determining the new, experiencing this neutral zone, an individual will experience some real personal growth in discovering who they are, what the want, and where they want to be.
A change, a situational shift is less frightening than a transition. Both are inevitable and both can be positively anticipated. Yet transitions are more profound. Perhaps in understanding this process, it can be welcomed and accepted rather than resisted and denied. Afterall, it is inevitable.