My wife came across this quote whilst writing her dissertation some years back, and the other day I found myself posting something very similar, “Change happens when the pain of staying still exceeds the fear of going forward; we all just have different thresholds of pain.”

I think this is true for every person, and each major change we face. If we can understand this balance of ‘forces’ then we are better able to understand our behaviours, and those of others we are trying to guide and support. At present someone close to me is going through just this struggle. They are in real pain, but the pain of staying still is now greater than that of moving forwards into the unknown. Awareness of this tension doesn’t diminish the pain, but it makes it easier to bear.

Whether we are facing personal crises, or business changes, this dynamic is the key to success. In the business world this is often referred to as the ‘burning platform’, the reason to move forwards into the unknown. If you remember the scene in the film ‘Black Beauty’ where they had to lead the horses from the burning stables, they had to deal with the panic and fear the horses felt first, in order to lead them to safety. In the human world it isn’t usually this dramatic or as clear what is going on, but the emotional state of the people in ‘play’ is very similar.

If today, you or someone close is facing this kind of situation, then treat them with love but don’t let them run back into the flames; remind them of the rose they were born to become and enjoy…

“But for us the road unfurls itself, we don’t stop walking, we know there is far to go” Denise Levertov

“I believe one of the hardest things you can do is conquer your fears, but if you have a goal, then it’s your job to open up and let it be real no matter how scary it seems.”