Active Inquiry

Change

20th October, 2016 - Posted by Gavin - Comments Off on Change

This week, Alan talks about how becoming a new dad has changed his perspective on change:

We talk about ‘Change’ quite a lot here at Active Inquiry; demanding change, working towards change and fighting for change. Typically, we will be referring to change in an ideological sense, looking for greater equality in policy and societal norms but currently I am dealing with change in a smaller and more personal way.

Just five months ago my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and life changed beyond measure. Frankly we weren’t aware just how drastic that change would be. My favourite photo is one that I now call the ‘Naive’ photo and it was taken one hour after my daughter came home for the first time. It’s of the three of us, tucked up in bed, my daughter sleeping between us as we settle in to watch the latest episode of ‘Game of Thrones’. Three minutes in to that episode my daughter began to cry; We didn’t finish that episode until two weeks later.

Change can be hard; I knew that before she was born but maybe I didn’t know it in the way I know it now. Even if we want change, we may not be prepared for how tricky it can be.

If you have been following and engaging with the news in the past few months you will know that change is coming and many of us are divided about what kind of change it is that we want. This can bring out the best in us, but it can also bring out the worst. On my worst days with my daughter I lament that I don’t have the freedom to just go for a run when I want or spend time with my wife. On my best days I get creative and run laps around the coffee table with her giggling in my arms for my morning exercise.

We at Active Inquiry like to get creative when it comes to change. We like to search for alternatives to the status quo and ask not just how things should change for the better but how WE can help them to change. And maybe we need to be a little naïve some times, just to get us started, because change can be hard and change can be overwhelming. But as a sleep deprived new Dad I can tell you that it can be pretty great too.