In the spirit of “pentelemental” systems thinking – that is, any successful system has to have at least five elements – may you and yours be blessed with a
- Safe
- Happy
- Inspirational
- Prosperous and
- Peace-filled
2024!
You may think that’s a short list, and a short article, but if you look deeply at all those elements, you’ll realize there’s a LOT going on in each of those elements. They don’t just happen. In fact, it takes a significant amount of work to make those things happen! They all require not simply action, but preparation for action, which is one of the reasons why the DREAM acronym was changed to ARMED a couple of years ago.
And, in the spirit of change, one change usually means more changes. This past year, I discovered a couple of equations that might resonate with you if you have a mathematical mind. If we let delta (Δ) represent change as it does in mathematics, then Δ = Δ2. Also, knowing that anything times 0 is 0, then 0Δ = 0.
Refusal to change, or sticking to “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” isn’t the most effective mindset for survival today, especially since we’ve endured a pandemic that has challenged all those elements. Also, note that if you remove the letters “lle” from “challenge,” you’re left with “change,” which proves that there’s change required for the challenges you and I will face.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2012-2023