08/30/2019
by Mark Stash
For many people, making changes in their lives can be terrifying. The routine of everyday life is comforting and easy. This is not always a bad thing, but if the soul yearns for something more, something that will feed the inner self, change is necessary and good. Without change, the person can, in fact, become stagnant and sometimes even move backwards.
When Googling “Why is change good?” I came across a number of articles and blogs supporting my theory. And, when I typed in “Why is change bad?” I got several hits on articles that support that theory as well. But the percentage of it being a good thing far outnumbered the negative effects of change.
In order to change, we also have to be vulnerable. Through this, we open ourselves up to failure, doubt, rejection and loneliness. But, if we don’t become vulnerable, we also cannot experience success, self-assuredness, acceptance and joy.
When we change, we are pushed out of our comfort zone. Our opinions and mindset are challenged, and we need to communicate clearly what have become new thoughts and thinking patterns. And, we get to find out who we really are. We learn what we can handle, and what our limits are, too.
Another positive aspect of change is that you can accept new challenges in a more adaptable way. You become more flexible, and in fact, you will probably flourish.
Change can happen to us in a personal way through relationships and how we view ourselves. It can also occur in careers and creativity as well.
One example of change and vulnerability in this issue is the story of a business named Castle Harvester Company (page 14). It originally specialized in agricultural equipment to harvest cabbage. Now, through new ideas in the company, it is a metal fabricator and has even done work in the newly renovated Rochester International Airport. This new venture, I’m sure, was not an easy path. They were vulnerable to failure. But they succeeded – in a big way.
Amelia Fais Harnas (page 34) is a talented painter who has made a name for herself using a unique medium – red wine. Her renderings are special and beautiful and she has been very successful in the art world because of this medium. And yet she yearns for change. Her friend, Bridget Bossart van Otterloo states, “I think Amelia is very wise in knowing when a good thing must come to an end. It’s important for an artist to keep moving forward exploring new ideas.”
New Hope Mills (page 38) is a well-known landmark in the central part of the Finger Lakes Region. The iconic red mill, pictured on this issue’s front cover, is no longer in use, but its owners dream of it becoming a museum someday. The business itself has changed. It stopped grinding flour in the old mill location in the early 2000s. The company has since moved to a new location in Auburn, and the number of employees has increased from 10 to 50. I’m sure that the initial changes for the business were scary, but because the owners believed in themselves and their vision, their company is now better than ever.
Through change, we become humble and grateful, and we tend to look at the world in a different way. If you think change is happening in your life, embrace it. You won’t regret it.
