The Only Constant Is Change

You may be familiar with the saying, “you can’t step in the same river twice.” Originally said by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who is known for his doctrine that change is central to how the universe works. The exact quote actually goes:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” (source: https://iep.utm.edu/heraclit/)

Whether this statement resonates with you or not, change is an unavoidable part of human existence. And even so, we often find ourselves resisting it. Perhaps most often in the face of fear, the longing for nostalgia, or simply in seeking comfort, we cling to the familiar.

Here at Match Retail, we’ve been thinking about (and experiencing) a lot of change lately. A new agency identity, a new government administration, pandemic uncertainty, and rapidly evolving social justice conversations – to name a few. Which is why EDGE, our diversity leadership initiative, has chosen our Q1 theme as change.

We started the year with a book discussion on a chapter from Glennon Doyle’s bestselling memoir, Untamed. In the chapter, titled “Let It Burn,” Doyle inspires readers to let burn the memos that the world has issued in pursuit of our own truth. One of these memos brought us to the topic of social justice and kept us there. Doyle writes,

“I let burn my cherished, comfortable idea of America as a place of liberty and justice for all. I let a truer, wider perspective be born in its black, one that includes the American experience of people who don’t look like me.” (76)

The theme of change will propel us through February’s recognition of Black History Month and Women’s Month in March. Individually and as a collective, Match Retail is eager to continue to address these topics and the change that is needed to create a world that we want to live in.

Heraclitus’ theory describes “Becoming” as a constant state of flux in our universe, meaning we must always be willing to let go of the past in order to embrace the future. And with that, we will leave you with a final quote from Doyle that will hopefully inspire you to burn your memos and greet the flux of our world with open arms, “We are only alive only to the degree to which we are willing to be annihilated. Our next life will always cost us this one.” (74)

See you in our next life,

The EDGE Team