Jon Katz writes about change in Running to the Mountain - A Midlife Adventure. "There is a huge risk involved in examining your life. You may find that you’re not all happy with the life you are living, that you’re unfilled. Before, you might have been content to stumble along, to accept the reality of your life. But now – to change or not? Will you regret it? . . . . Self-awareness, introspection, searches for the meaning of things – all these are hard, painful undertakings. And there’s a huge risk involved whenever you seek to discover what’s inside you, what you’re made of. . . . We’re taught to be frightened of change. What if I love what I have and don't want to explore? What if I try and fail? The drama of it all is that when all is said and done there’s a choice – get help when needed, take risks if necessary, make changes when appropriate. In my experience, the people who do these things have more often found happiness than the people who haven’t. . . . The choice of risk versus caution looms in front of us. Happiness is the hope for much of what we do. If we have that, stasis is fine. If we don’t, change and risk are sometimes the only choice. . . . I shouldn’t overlook one of life’s most basic tasks – to have a good time." To be sure that your friend is your friend, you must go with him on a journey, travel with him day and night, go with him near and far. -- Angolan proverb
