All in

Why are we so afraid of changes? Looking at the transitions of the seasons outside, nature is clearly telling us that changes are essential. And even if you are living in sunny California, and you clearly don’t get what I mean, you have to agree that life would be pretty boring if all the days were the same and nothing new ever happened.

Life is all about changes! OK, yes, we like some changes. But only the kind of changes that we look forward to – a new baby in the family, a new job, a new house, a trip to a part of the world we’ve always wanted to explore… but what if we are just fine with what is and someone wants to mess up with our world? Oh, no, we don’t like that!

When are you usually most resistant to change? For me it’s in times of stress. I have everything carefully planned, I’m working at full speed, anticipating the excitement of crossing the finish line at some point, and then something comes up. One more project “due yesterday” pops out of nowhere, a process I’ve been used to is changed by someone who is paid to do things like that, there is a re-org in my company… and crash! My meticulously engineered machine is disturbed, and it feels like all those plates balancing on the sticks above my head are all going to fall down… or are they?

I’ve heard a really great poker analogy. If you play with a lot of money, and you are willing to risk some cash, well, what the heck, you have plenty to lose but you’ll still have some left for the next round if it doesn’t work out. But, oh boy, when you have just a couple of chips left, you really think about your next move. When I’m stretched to the limits of my abilities and a change comes up, it feels like being “all in” while someone else just exposed their four-of-a-kind. All my efforts so far (my “chips”) are lost.

But guess what? In life, we all have our own chip producing machine. It’s called self-esteem. We can never run out of chips as long as we believe in ourselves. So, when the next change catches you by surprise, stop and reflect on all of those good games you’ve played before. Fill your pockets with some more chips and get ready for the new round.