Reflection 4: About Change

In the first part of The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor, the author introduces the concepts of happiness, success, change and much more. The one I want to focus on for this reflection is the concept of change and especially the idea of lasting change. Some people are afraid of change and others do not believe in it. I have always liked change and I believe that I have made some lasting changes within myself throughout the years. I can only hope that I will keep on evolving in a positive sense. I believe growth is at the core of what makes life worth experiencing.

If we eternally kept on making the same mistakes over and over again, what would be the point of it all, the drive that makes us keep going on? Isn’t insatisfaction the primary reason why we keep on growing and becoming a better version of ourselves?

The scientific term for the human being’s capacity for change is called brain plasticity. It is the process through which a brain adapts, based on the ways it is used throughout someone’s life. This makes me wonder: how do practices of mindfulness affect the brain’s plasticity. And can we conditionate ourselves towards positive lasting change. If so, that means we could shape our ability for change towards our goals and happiness. This can be applied to organizations, societies or even countries, but it can also be used at the individual spiritual level, which I am much more interested in, in the context of this class.

Happiness is paradoxical: on one hand we should strive for peace and satisfaction, and on the other, we should use our capacity to change in a positive way. So how can we associate both and embrace change without burying ourselves under expectations of what the outcome has to look like?

I believe that the answer resides in balance, and honesty with ourselves. There is a quote related to this that states that we should have ‘the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.’ This was formulated by Reinhold Niebuhr, a christian theologian and philosopher. Although I do not share the spiritual beliefs of this man, I think he perfectly summarized the dilemma of change and happiness.

We can only change a limited extent of what we are and of the life we are experiencing and understanding this is necessary if we desire to nurture peacefulness within. Another important idea in the book is that knowing something does not mean we are able to implement it, as the example of the researcher shows. Implementing change requires practice and consistency and, for all of this reasons, change is possible but is translates into complex and timely efforts.