Thursday, January 26, 2012

Guiding Principle the Seventh

BE WILLING TO ACCEPT CHANGE.

This is my new (and daily) mantra. I have to say it over and over, because I am notoriously resistant to change. Always have been.

But.

Everything about my professional world is changing--book-selling, publishing, newspapering. I feel like we're in the middle of another Industrial Revolution and no one knows exactly where it's going. I've resisted the digital/electronic thing as much as possible. But I've finally just had to tell myself, "Sweetheart"--I like to call myself Sweetheart for self-esteem purposes--"Sweetheart, the horse is out of the barn. You gotta accept that fact and try to make all this strange new-ness work for you."

So there we are. Check back with me in ten years to see how I did.

2 comments:

Lisa B. said...

It is a testament to the power of these principles that I find myself resisting EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. Like the way I resist going out for the walk I said I wanted and needed, or doing my grading right now when I have time instead of later when I will feel all panicky. Etc. I am contrary. But I am going to collect each of these principles and slide up to them, unawares, so that I can choose them for my very own. Then maybe, maybe I will be able to (6) do the work and (7) accept change.

Maybe.

Thanks for this series. It truly is helpful.

SWILUA said...

I'm awful with changes. Prettymuch every major "transition" in my life is marked by at least one borderline-psychotic mental breakdown. Not even exaggerating. :)

About publishing changes... there is too much to say. Here is one tiny observation: I used to HATE the idea of a digital book. How could it be a BOOK if you couldn't even hold it? What was the POINT?

When my husband got me a Kindle, I sort of shrugged. I'd have to get used to the whole thing someday, I guessed. Wasn't thrilled. I mean, this meant the book was DYING.

After reading just a book or two, though, I didn't really notice a difference.

Until I went back to a "real" book.

And I was horrified! I mean, the "real" book was so heavy! The ink gave me hives! And the text! I couldn't adjust the size or the spacing or anything about it and I had to squint and struggle! But the worst: When I got to the end of the book, I had to GET OUT OF BED and GO TO THE STORE to get the next book! I wanted it NOW! I didn't want to wait that long! I HAD to know what was going to happen to my dear protagonist! I mean, I really CARED about that guy!

Which is when I realized: change isn't always bad. It's scary because we don't want to lose what we have. But, sometimes, when we relax and go with it, we find out that we never lost anything. We just made it better.

loves to you Ann!!