Hanan Al -Khalfan
Fear of change is not the result of the moment, but rather a shadow in the past that accompanies a person wherever he comes. The strange thing is that this fear is not only evident in front of the major crises or transformations, but even in front of the simplest positive changes that will make our lives more smooth. Many live prisoners of what they are accustomed to, as if they were afraid to extend their hands to a light that might dispel their darkness.
And whoever contemplates a person’s journey from its beginnings, discovers that the change has always been the gate for the better. The child who moves from the phase of the love to walking, then to school, lives a successive series of transformations that make its growth and development. In the years of study, the stages change and the curricula, grades and teachers change, but we see them as natural and required changes, because it builds a more mature and preparedness of life. However, as soon as a person grows up, he begins with fear of any new transformation, as if the change has become synonymous with risk instead of staying as it was in his beginnings: a step towards maturity and upgrading.
In the work environment, for example, if every commander or manager of thought adds a small touch in daily details of his crew, a broader space for rest, flexible hours, or even rearranging the environment surrounding them, the employees would feel more than job safety and belonging. But the reality reveals that some explain any change as a threat, so the employee confuses instead of embrace the opportunity, and is approved by the unknown instead of sensing reassurance.
On the social level, the image is not far. There are people who refuse to change their lifestyles even if they live in a monotonous cycle that drains them. You find them sticking to what is existing, they fear moving to a new house, a different work experience, or even openness to a new relationship. Not because change will harm them, but because the ordinary gives them a false feeling of safety, and no familiar terrifies them, even if he carries their salvation. Perhaps the most beautiful thing that reduces the fear of change, that God Almighty does not leave His servants without hope, as he always opens the doors of optimism, whatever the conditions are harsh. Some women, for example, suffer from violence and restrictions, but with every pain that looks out a new horizon, and with every darkness a light that carries a promise of a more generous and more beautiful life. Positive change is not only a human decision, but also a divine gift that is cultivated in the hearts to rise again.
Psychology describes this phenomenon as “the bias of the existing situation”, where a person prefers to stay in what he knows about facing the unknown. It is the resistance of positive change, which makes us postpone fateful decisions, and we remain prisoners of the past even as we dream of the future.
Frankly, the truth is that every great shift in the lives of individuals and societies began with a bold step towards the unknown. The light was never a threat to the eye, but rather what makes us see things clearly. Change is not as dangerous as fear deludes us, but rather an opportunity that may not be repeated, provided that we have the courage to accept it.
