Durval Muniz de Castro offers dance as a metaphor for change and the state
of 'comfort' (my word) that we have with it.
== begin quote ==
Maybe a metaphor could help us understand. We may compare change to dance
or music. The question is: can we dance along with it? Is it easy or
difficult for us? Would some help improve our performance? What kind of
help? Are there chances that we will be hurt trying to dance (fall, break
a bone, etc.)? Dancing involves some stress, some people deal very well
with it while others are frustrated. The group's performance improves if
the dancers cooperate. In spite of that, there is a level of competition,
seeking to overcome limits or levels of performance, that may contribute
to overall achievement.
== end quote ==
I think this is quite insightful. In dance there is a dynamic equilibrium
that would collapse if we stopped dancing. Try it some time. When you
dance, you and your partner collaborate in an elaborate ritual that allows
you to move smoothly and gracefully from one place to another. But if one
of you tries to stop, or break the rhythm, you are likely to fall, and at
the least you will blunder to a halt.
Is 'dancing' into a new situation a question of maintaining a dynamic
equilibrium that allows you to move gracefully forward without falling?
Perhaps. I like it.
The other learning I get from this is that no one just naturally dances
correctly. Dancing well comes from observing, training, and practice. It
feels awkward and embarrassing until you 'get it'. Many people never
learn it because they can't stand the bad feelings they have because they
can't do it. It takes trust to believe you will get there. It takes
commitment to get there. You have to want to do it, or you'll never
learn. Once you learn, you can't remember what all the fuss was about,
but you still get a tremendous sense of self-satisfaction from dancing
well. I like this metaphor.
--Rol Fessenden LL Bean, Inc. 76234.3636@compuserve.com
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>