Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree.

We live not in a static world, but one that fluctuates in tandem with time. One which evolves, with huts being bulldozed away to make way for skyscrapers, where older politicians get replaced by new ones adorning sparkly shoes and well-tailored coats, where generations get replaced by new generations. We live in a world that is constantly changing inevitably and surely with each tick of the second hand on the face of a clock.

With physical changes, it is almost necessary to change mindsets and reservations we may have and to adapt to the novel environment around us. Take for example Facebook, the social network that was brought social interaction to the next level. While the younger generation may breathe, eat and sleep Facebook, the older generations may feel phased out and even obsolete, that is if they decide to remain static. Keeping an open mind, however allows them to embrace this new culture albeit with a pinch of salt and stay relevant to the youths of today, perhaps to even understand their own children better. This may apply to an assortment of things – from technology to brands to even the pop icons of today!

Changing our mindset with time and constantly bettering ourselves is not just crucial to stay relevant but also in terms of how we accept the world around us. We can either fight change or swallow the bitter pill and honestly speaking, the latter is much less catastrophic. As human beings we do not have the capacity to fight change, to deny it or even insist that certain things are supposed to be sacrosanct. Nothing is sacrosanct. So we adjust ourselves to the novel situations and go with the flow, without wishing the past would reprise.

Changes aside, human beings are ever so comparable to a tree. We start off, with our foundations (the roots) before we branch out and reach the rest of the world through our actions and words (the shoots) and benefit the world in any way we can (through fruits and flowers) and eventually we give rise to new generations to take over our place (through seeds). I think before the entire process of life unfolds before us and before we are subjected to this ever-changing world, the foundations are extremely important. These comprise our values, our morals and our utmost connection with God. If these are compromised in any way, whether one has shoots or flowers or fruits does not matter at the end of the day. The most important issue is whether the base is stable, because if it is not, a gust of wind may topple the entire tree over, regardless of how much it has given to the world. The ultimate goal is ultimately to reach a stage where we are deeply rooted (pun intended) in our belief systems for ourselves before we branch out to reach others and before we branch out into the evolving world. But of course, while maintaining a feedback system to continually renew and better oneself and replace old roots as well those getting ebbed away by termites. One should always embrace change but stay grounded in (good) values at the end of the day and make sure the oak grows deep into the ground before it gives back to the world and embraces changes over years and years to come!