Our nation is wrestling with change. Some of the wisest analysts of what the change process entails have identified four stages we experience:

INTRIGUE – CONCERN – STRUGGLE – PROGRESS

At first we become intrigued with the need for change and the possibilities of change. As the winds of change begin to blow, we become concerned about which way we should turn. Do we go with the wind or face into the wind and resist change? Then comes the mighty struggle as we come to grips with what change might demand of us and whether we can make the necessary shifts in our thinking and in our behaviors. We begin to try to change. Finally, we just get going and make it happen. We see progress and there is even more of the good and less of the bad than we might have expected. 

So, how do we help each other through times of change? At the INTRIGUE stage, we let our imaginations be free to contemplate the possibilities. At the CONCERN stage, we listen to each other and try to reserve judgment. At the STRUGGLE stage, we bolster our courage, make preparations, and we make some trade-offs to allow change to happen. At the PROGRESS stage, we celebrate our flexibility and our ingenuity. 

Change happens. It always will. It must. Otherwise, we dig in our heels, accept the status quo, and our progress ceases.

Invitation: Consider the four stages of change with your friends and family. Ask: “How can we be constructive participants in helping our nation, our neighborhood, and our family move forward?”

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