It’s probably time to change how we’ve always done things

What should you do if you unexpectedly find yourself sliding on ice in your vehicle? Gently pump the brakes, right? That’s the correct answer if it is an old vehicle, but not if you are driving with today’s anti-lock brakes. These brakes pump themselves. If you initially start pumping what is called an automatic braking system, you can likely cause problems. Applying an old solution to an old problem may be detrimental in this case.

Many things that were espoused as solutions decades ago are now no longer appropriate. Let’s take cigarettes. Earlier in the last century, many in the medical establishment not only smoked themselves but advised patients to do the same. The idea was that smoking cigarettes would have medicinal effects on different conditions. Can you imagine your physician now prescribing smoking for you now?

Let’s pretend you are going on a car trip with a loved one or friend. How do you plan your route? Some sort of GPS system, right? But what would you think if your companion pulled out a paper map instead? You’d more than likely think they were clueless about modern advances in the last twenty-five years.

All of this points to the idea that new solutions are frequently needed for old problems. This is not to say that many old solutions have no place.

They certainly do. But as life evolves, new ideas expand about what we thought was possible or prudent.

Perhaps much of what we currently think of as good solutions to age-old problems will be obsolete in the near future. Holding on too tightly to how we’ve always done things may not be helpful to you.

Instead, being open and receptive to what is being developed could be highly beneficial to you. While it’s difficult to release old notions and patterns, what is unfolding may prove to be of unimagined value. Can you be receptive today to new developments?