Thriving on change

Over the past twenty-five years, I have experienced a lot of change in my life. I have moved to Canada to the US and onto Japan, changing jobs along the way. While I understand some people find change difficult, I have found myself embracing and thriving on change. More recently, I have come to realize the pace of change has slowed in my life and perhaps, this is causing me some anxiety. Don't get me wrong. I feel very fortunate to be in a wonderful marriage and life in Tokyo brings no complaints from me.

I remember the excitement I felt when moving to a new location. Personally, it was the new places to explore, people to meet and sights to see. For work, it was a new hotel and new guests. A new car brought back the excitement of, well... a new car. Traveling to new destinations gave me the chance to experience something new while building some new memories. Leaving my job in the US in the 90's to return to Japan and study Japanese was exhilarating. At the time I said, "If I don't do it now, I will never do it but live to regret it". What an adventure it has been.

Steve Jobs' commencement speech to students is well remembered for his "follow your passions" advice. I walk a fine line between the sensibility of staying on the safe and responsible path, and the alternate path of risk and taking chances. I must remember my own advice to myself on several occasions when I took unknown chances on change. "No matter what happens, tomorrow will arrive and you will deal with it. Everything you have done, learned and experienced has prepared you for tomorrow."

Wish me luck in my decisions to make the most of tomorrow.