Take for example a recent e-mail I
received informing me that Twitter is
now accepting video uploads of more
than 140 seconds. Maybe I was used
to uploading and tailoring videos
to fit 140 seconds now that has
changed and I have to change with it.
That’s the kind of pruning that every
professional has to go through. Pick
and drop and be open to the process.
Then there’s the unfortunate
professional who’ll find himself/
herself completely cut off. This
type of professional accepts change
only when the pressure to do so
overwhelms him/her. Otherwise this
person is quite comfortable with the
‘status quo.’ Obviously with time this
person will be cut off when he/she
can no longer hide behind whatever
rock they deem as their protection.
Accept the Phantom Pains but
Don’t Let them Overwhelm You
Cutting results in loss. Loss is painful
because it means we have to let go.
The phantom pains that will be
experienced as a result of this loss
will be dependent on your level of
attachment.
I recall how in university we were
expected to hand in all assignments
typed and not written. This came as
a huge shock for a girl who was not
only used to long-writing but loved
it as well. As a result I’d write out all
my assignments then get someone
to type them for me (in most cases
I had to pay for this service). The
whole idea of typing wa s a nightmare
to say the least, having to work with
two index fingers and struggling to
find ‘a’, ‘f ’, ‘d’, etc.
I once decided that since I have a
28 MAL 13/16 ISSUE
‘very good hand-writing’ and that
I didn’t want to pay for typing
services, that I’d hand in a written
out assignment. I got back the
assignment with half the score I
would have achieved had I followed
instructions and typed it out. That
was my wake up call.
It need not have been so severe I
probably should have struggled and
typed even if it was with my index
fingers but I held on too hard. I let
the fear of the pain of letting go rule
over me. With every change comes
a cut and with every cut comes a
phantom pain. Phantom pains are
real but they can be overcome.
Keep Dancing
A story is told of a sheep that had
a beautiful coat of fur who loved to
dance in order to show off her fur.
Then one day her owner came with