People Are Creatures of Habit

People are creatures of habit.  We like to get into a type of routine and we like some regularity in our lives.  However, the last year has changed the way we do business and the way we live our lives.  This change has continued into the second half of this year, and we must realize that there is no going back to “normal.”  We have moved forward as a country and as a society and we need to look toward the future and not the past.

Progress is Unavoidable

Times change because they have to.  We, as a society, learn from the past and make progress.  This has led to many comforts of which we are accustomed.  A great example is the Safe Water Act of 1974.  This created a system of standards to ensure the water we drink is healthy and safe.  Can you imagine living in a country where water was not regulated for our protection.  Laws like this were created from learning from the past and a better understanding of our environment.  A modern equivalent of this can be the way air travel companies now emphasis cleanliness.   Even as we round the corner of the COVID crisis many of the habits we created will remain in place.  The standards for cleanliness in public areas will remain a focus.  The reason why is simple, we have learned that keeping common places clean stops the spread of all viruses and disease.  The changes we have made to fight COVID has forced transportation companies to take cleanliness seriously.  This new approach to customer safety has changed the travel industry.  It has forced them to make progress.

Those who do not learn from the Past are destined to repeat it

There is a reason we talk about our past and history is a required subject in school.  America is a country built of many people from many backgrounds and it is important that we understand this.  We are also a country with a history of inequality and mistakes, and we must embrace this.  Good and bad, our past is our history, and we must embrace who we are as a people.  Discrimination and racism are a big part of American history and so is violence.  Trying to hide what happened in the past prevents us from recognizing mistakes and moving forward together.  We cannot change the atrocities of the past, but we can ensure we look toward the future.  No person or group of people is less than any other.  A commonly used quote from the Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”  We founded the country based on these words and 200 years later we are still trying to make this statement true.  The idea of the quote is good; however, it was written when slavery was acceptable.  It was written when women were considered less then men.  These biases still exist today, but thankfully they are not embraced by as many people as they once were.  Most people have learned that everyone is equal, but it is important to remember when times were different.  We must acknowledge our mistakes and use them to continue to make progress towards equality for all.

How to Approach Change

Change can be scary to many people even if they find it necessary.  We get used to doing things a certain way and uncertainty makes us nervous.  The first step to combating this problem is realizing it exists.  As we move past the struggles of the last 18 months, we must realize that things are going to be different.  Prices for many products and services have increased and in stock availability has drastically decreased.  We have grown accustomed to being able to get everything we wanted quickly without much hassle, but this is no longer the case.  We must come to terms with the fact that certain consumer goods are harder to get and take longer to receive once ordered.  This change may only be short term, or it could drag out for an unforeseen amount of time.  There is no telling what the future holds, all we can do is handle each situation as it presents itself.  We must learn to be smarter and more efficient and to plan better.  If you know your refrigerator or water heater is old and on its last leg of life, address the issue.  Ordering a new appliance might take several weeks, they are hard to find in stock in our current economy.  We can no longer afford to wait until the last minute to fix problems or replace items.  The economic situation we are in has changed, and we must be patient.   This type of change to the way we purchase goods is drastic, but we have no choice and must adjust to it.

Every day is a challenge.  Some days are harder than others, but strive to improve daily.  We can always do things differently and we can always find a way forward.  As a society we have made a lot of progress, but we have a ways to go.  Take on challenges and be willing to learn and change with the times.  Only by doing so will we make the country and the world a better place for our children.