Evolution is growth and progress; it takes place when some old, seemingly impermeable parts in us find new dimension, as altered perspective and better ways within us. I will call it change, change that is steadily progressive. In my own life, change has been both wilful and involuntary. What is common across much of the change is that they are not conscious adoption from experiences and influences — in fact, changes are akin to morphing of the old into, somewhat, new ways of perceiving and discerning. I also suspect that some aspects of the change would have been dormant within me and found their way out of the hole, as I opened up to potential and possibilities. If we view change in a continuum, it will not be linear and would have begun its slow amble, jousting with oblivion and resistance, toying with acknowledgement before it met acceptance within us.
Self reflection
Let us sample it. Roughly seven-to-eight years back and until before, I would rue my inability to deliver a clever, sharp repartee in an exchange that I thought, required a demonstration of my views. Until much after the exchange, I would replay a sharper, smarter version of the response in my mind, all the while miserable about the failure to perform in that moment. In a continuum of life situations, I seem to have lost that urge to speak until specifically asked and when unable to, I regret a lack of restraint on getting caught in a conversation where I could have avoided voicing myself. Clearly, the urge to be sharp has morphed into one for softness. As on today, I enjoy listening to and observing the other person, in monologue. It also allows me to note my reactions to what is being said and gain insights into me.
Philosopher Hannah Arendt has called this state Being v/s Appearing , a gradual dilution of our impulse to self-display . Poet, Philosopher Kahlil Gibran explores this as interplay between ourseeming selves and our being selves — and the waning of the aspirational (idealised) self, as we get closer to our inner wholeness.
This is evolution — a gradual shift from involuntary to conscious living. The word has been grand in its usage, but is far more ordinary in occurrence. In fact, we are continuously evolving in bits and bytes, as we go about experiencing each day. As Marcus Aurelius says, “No experience really goes wasted”. The question to ponder is if we can make each experience improve and expand us.
How do we recognise the minute changes and become better at living in awareness? It is key to note that evolution marries change with topicality. Like I said that it all existed within us, but begins to manifest once we are primed for it. A big part of being primed is to slow down, to pause: when we naturally begin to notice the shifts in our own interplay with everyday experiences.
Does this view make me feel tight or bring lightness?
Are the 1,000 friends on Facebook giving me joy anymore or is the select set on messenger those who I value?
Am I growing to understand and appreciate people differently, even those who I considered insufferable?
Does holding on to this belief (judgement, assumption) sit heavy on my chest?
Yes and no answers to such simple questions indicate evolution — getting closer to who we really are in our daily occupations. Evolution is certainly not only about the big changes; it is central to the simplicity of daily life. And beginning to be conscious of change is growth.
Frankly, we do owe it to ourselves to make the best of our own evolution.
The author is a freelance writer, blogger, and life coach. nivedita@lifealigncoaching.com
