Bitesize Inspiration: Change with Alphonse Kart

 

Have you ever noticed when a word or a saying comes to your attention, and then suddenly you're hearing or seeing it everywhere? This is exactly what happened with me over this last week with this week's quote. The more things change the more they stay the same. It's an old-fashioned quote, one often used by the elders in our community. Those who have lived through a long life, and paid attention! It is often used in relation to social issues or politics but I think it can be applied to so many areas of our life. 

As a historian and avid reader of the classics and historical non-fiction, I can see so many patterns that are repeated - whether that be due to human nature, social movements or simply the tendency that history has to repeat itself. Sometimes these are on a personal level - I myself claim to change but continue to fall into the same habits of the past. Or they can be on a bigger scale - schools and churches make new promises only to break them in the future. Governments pledge new resources, more money, drastic change, but never making good on those promises. People being torn apart through tragedy or crisis, but standing strong and relying on hope and faith. It's not necessarily a bad thing that the more things change the more they stay the same. Another quote that comes to mind, is history is bound to be repeated by those who don't study it. The more we aware we are of what has come before us - either through reflection of our own lives or a broader awareness of our shared histories - then the better off we are. We can see where mistakes were made and hopefully avoid them in the future. We can reflect on worked well and what made us happy and we can hope to repeat that. 

I believe this quote really does call on us to be more aware of ourselves and the world we live in. We don't live in isolation and our lives are only one in a long line of those who have come before us, and those who will come after us. Having awareness, and applying this awareness will only put us in a better situation in the future - whatever may come.

Have a wonderful week, friends and thanks for stopping by!