the air

Photo: chesterfield

Human beings have a tendency to seek out stable comfort zones. While in these zones, we prefer not to be disturbed and consider it our “safety harness.” From this location, we will plan out our lives and conduct business with minimal fear. However, as soon as some drastic force threatens our comfort zone, we immediately transform from passive enthusiasts to front-line infantry to defend our turf. I’m sure what I just proclaimed may sound preposterous, but are you willing to adapt to rapidly varying environments frequently without complaint and actively pursue change? My guess is that you probably will not engage in such activities on a regular basis. Why not?

If you allow yourself to comfortably acclimate to a particular environment, you simply deny your ability to accept change in a world that is rapidly evolving. By preparing for constant change, you can evolve your mentality from a passive responsiveness to a proactive preemptive personality.

What does all that garbage mean?

Instead of reacting to change, it is far better to anticipate it and take steps to embrace the change. When the 2007-2008 school year began in late August 2007, I knew that most of my time would be spent working on my senior design project. At first, my proclivities were to maintain my current method of studying and adjust accordingly to the needs of my senior design project. During that time, I read an article in a magazine that stressed the importance of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. And that got me thinking.

Instead of following the same study plan that brought my success, I decided to drastically overhaul it and start from scratch. Some people would consider that almost insane, but I considered it a revolutionary step forward. My new plan called for immediate action on time management and strict adherence to both goals and a schedule. Instead of engaging in spontaneous activities (e.g. last minute invitations to parties, night trips to Wal-Mart, etc.), I made sure that everything was planned for. And if anything last minute came up, I would then either deny it or simply allocate time for it at a later date. If neither were acceptable, I would then accept the event and carry on with it. As a college student, spontaneity is definitely hard to account for and can easily waste precious time.

Stop living in the past and present!

So many books and people tell me that it is important for us to live in the present. We should not worry about the past. Truthfully, I only agree with them on the latter statement. I don’t think anyone should live for the present. The present is a phase in which we must accept what is occurring. However, the future is where the real fun is. Since the future has not been created yet, why not prepare for the future now so that when it does arrive, we can worry about its future. That does not mean you should not pay attention to the present. What it means is that everyone should focus on the present for the future. Since future events have yet to occur, many things can change and it is only fair to understand that change and prepare for it. There’s no point in dwelling on what has already occurred since you cannot change the past. There is no point in dwelling on the present because it is occurring as we speak and you can no longer influence it. However, the future can be influenced and can be changed. So why not worry about the future?

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