In Ecclesiastes. Solomon said,
And there is nothing new under the sun.”
I’m reminded of that often, when I find something novel and then find it restated somewhere else, slightly differently, later. Yet, in the midst of “nothing new,” there can be different and better. Different in the sense of new ways of combining old things. Better in the sense of closer approximating what others meant, but could not say.
I reflect on these thoughts, as Engine for Change turns seven years old. This blog started as a way of capturing the old stories told over and over to new Guiding Coalition members. It expanded to contain the ups and down and rants of a change agent, constantly seeking better ways of explaining the “nothing new” so others could embrace the repetition and learn how to respond better the next time they got a chance to make their change happen in the world.
Thank you to all of you who’ve been on this journey with me. Just this morning, on Facebook, I saw a like on a photo and I was washed over by the memories of so many people and changes that came before. (And, this photo of Tom as an invincible engine for change). I started to wonder, what changes are coming next. How can we best be ready, together?
As I continue to teach new people the essential learning contained in this blog, and as I share the message of Driving Change instead of Driving People globally, I’m grateful to all of you who keep reading (even though I’ve barely blogged in two years), who keep thinking, and most of all who keep driving change. Change is a challenge, but together and with the right change philosophy to guide us, we can–and are–changing the world!
Perhaps it is time I return to blogging. I’ve missed you. I’m ready now. Thank you for sticking with me. Let’s have another seven amazing years.
What is it we always used to say? I remember now.
Why not try?