Can this quote really be true? This was posted on my Facebook wall from a page I "liked" sometime last year. I saw it hours ago and can't stop thinking about it. I think this would make a very interesting discussion with some of my friends over a glass of wine. At first I thought, "Wow, that is sooo true." And then I thought, "Wow, that's actually rather sad if that's really true." And then most recently I realized, "Actually, it depends on what you are talking about."
I know you can probably say that about most things but I really think it's true when it comes to this quote. For things you can not change it can be very true. I have been getting regular updates from relatives who live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil regarding family friends who live in Friburgo, one of the towns completely obliterated by the mud slides. The photos are horrific and the stories of broken families even worse (including the man who lost his wife, kids, siblings, aunts, uncles and parents when the house they were all renting for vacation collapsed and he was the only one not present at the time). Other tragic events that have affected me on a personal level are what I immediately thought of when I first read this quote.
My second thought came after I realized that for one instance in particular, "giving in" to acceptance would have potential negative ripple effects that might not be apparent for a long time to come. I thought of the definition of insanity, "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Maybe for these instances, one should accept that a different result won't occur if nothing changes, but one has to believe that things will be different if the behavior changes. Hopefully serenity would come from no longer feeling like you are banging your head up against a wall.
Lastly I thought about the quote in relation to work, co-workers, your work environment, etc. and realized that it really just depends! An instance where it might be applicable is when expecting a co-worker, boss, or subordinate to magically increase their intellectual capacity or to do things differently when they have clearly shown a pattern for a particular behavior (this is not to say behaviors cannot be altered, but when the individual has shown no interest in changing, I wouldn't expect it to happen). I believe that in these instances people would be much calmer and serene at work if they simply accepted the situation (or people). However, if you are utterly miserable at work, should you simply accept it and you shall be serene? I don't think so. That is when you take action to make changes to your situation.
What other instances can you think of where this quote might apply or not apply?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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