November is a month of transition. Summer really is over and people start to think of the cold, of Christmas, of New Year and perhaps about changes they might like to make in the coming year. This November, it feels even more a time of change. The world's financial crisis and the historic election of an African-American President for the USA, are just two of the signs that major transition is occurring.
When I consider the seasons, I see a steady constancy: change happens, but (climate change aside) it is a predictable and reliable cycle - we know pretty much what winter weather will be like and we know that come spring, warmth will return... we know that trees lose their leaves but that spring brings new growth. Human change is less predictable. Although financial markets do follow cycles to a degree over the years, we cannot be sure what will happen next, or when, or how fast or slowly it will arise. In politics, a shift has now taken place which is seen as a great step forward towards important change. And as with both these examples, our lives can change dramatically. This is not just change, as per the seasons, but progress.
Next year does not have to be just like this year. We all have the power to decide we want change and to take steps to achieve it, just as Barack Obama and the voters of the USA did. We also have the ability to learn from mistakes and to implement new plans, just as global financial institutions must do over the coming months and years.
At a deeper level, we also have the flexibility and the intellect to look at changes and say, even when we dislike the change: "what is good in this?". Nothing is ever unremittingly bad. For those people who did not want Obama, there will still be things they can look back on in a few years time, which they may admit were beneficial in some way. And the financial crisis will turn out to have hidden silver linings in its clouds.
What does this mean at a personal level for individuals such as you or I?
Enormous change is possible
The now-famous 106 year-old black voter in Atlanta has seen progress during her lifetime which she surely could not have believed possible - to go from no right to vote, as both a woman and as a black person, to now witnessing a black President-elect. Obama himself has progressed in just eight years from having his credit card rejected when he attempted to hire a car, and being ineligible to enter the Democratic convention, to where he is today.
Don't ever believe that something you want cannot be done. It may take time, and the joint effort of many people, but so much that at first appears impossible, is achievable.
To misquote Obama, when someone tells you it can't be done, say "Yes, it can".
Silver linings in clouds
I also believe that both these global events hold a change of mood for many of us. The past few decades have been a time of materialism, when ambition for many has been centred around how much money they could earn, the type of home or car they owned, the price they could afford to spend on their holidays, clothes, gadgets, electronic goods etc., and even on techniques and procedures to enhance how beautiful they felt.
We are now being forced to consider cutbacks. For some, this will be very difficult - I do not underestimate the challenges of redundancy, home repossession etc. and I hope that you are not amongst this group. But for many, these extremes will not occur - it will simply be a time to cut back on spending.
Might this be a good thing? Might this lead to fulfilment of different goals? Goals such as feeling happy, contented, fulfilled, experiencing love, developing at a deeper level than simply spending on the next new toy? What do you aspire to? What will allow you to look back contentedly on a life well lived.
Perhaps this time of reduced spending might bring some unexpected rewards, when we discover simple pleasures again? I am thinking of aspects such as:
- renewed interest in growing our own food, making clothes, knitting, cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients
- free entertainment, such as walking and other outdoor pursuits, dinner with friends, conversation, learning
- de-cluttering (perhaps with the aim of selling unwanted items)
- appreciating the good things which we do have each day
- being generous with your smiles and with kindness, and other free gifts to others
What can you think of? What changes could you make which would simplify your life and reduce outgoings? And importantly, what might be good about this?
I believe we may look back on this time as one when there was a 'universal sigh of relief'. This might be when we stop chasing more and more money and possessions and start to question what really brings happiness. Although there will be pressures, life endlessly spending is not without its own pressure.
Learning through loss
Sad as it sounds, humankind seems to learn through loss. It is our knowledge of death which makes us appreciate life. Similarly, pain and crisis - in our work, in our relationships and in life in general - are what teach us about what truly makes us happy.
So, in this time of financial doom and gloom, look for what you can learn about what makes you happy. Then use this to plan your next steps in life.
"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." Author Unknown