“It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice” (Ecclesiastes 4:13 ).
Men, I hate to say it, but something that many of us have to watch out for is becoming stubborn and refusing to change. If we allow that to happen it can cause us to fail and not be successful in life.
Now I’m a typical male, so I’ll use myself as an example. At my house, I have a favorite chair that I like to sit in. It’s pretty much “my chair.” When I’m home, I don’t want anyone else sitting in my chair because I want to sit in my chair! When I drink my coffee, I use the same cup. I bet we’ve got fifty cups, yet I use the same cup every time.
There are habits I’ve developed and certain things that I like, and I don’t like to change. A lot of us men are stubborn in that way. But what we must realize is that sometimes we have to change because if we don’t, we won’t grow.
We live in a world and culture that is constantly changing. When I was growing up, a lot of men worked for the same company for thirty years or more and then retired. They weren’t afraid of losing their jobs by having it outsourced because outsourcing wasn’t as common as it is now. If a job needed to get done, a position was created within the company to meet the need. But that’s not necessarily the case in today’s culture. Outsourcing and contract labor is a big part of the labor market. Job security within companies isn’t as reliable as it once was, which means we have to stay flexible to learn new things and always be ready for transition and change.
Take Away:
Don’t develop a stubborn, “Bless God, I’m not going to change!” attitude. If you do, you may find yourself left behind in an age that is ever progressing and advancing. Don’t get stuck in your ways. Keep growing. Keep learning new things. You might have to learn how to use the latest technology, or routinely take classes to stay current in the field you are working in. If you want to keep moving forward and continue being successful, you have to be adaptable, continue to learn, and be open to change.
