"The air is humming, and something great is coming. Who
knows?" - Steven Sondheim (West Side Story)
I'm a big fan of Sondheim and was fortunate for many years
to tour in a number of productions of West Side Story as "Anita." One
of my favorite numbers in the show is "Something's Coming," sung
early on. Natasha and I used to stand backstage during that number, bouncing
along with nervous energy, feeling the excitement in Sondheim's youthful lyrics
and the change in the wind that Arthur Laurents’ mature yet soaring
orchestrations created. The air truly did hum every night for over a year on
that tour as we listened to a glorious melody. We knew something great - change
- was just around the corner, for our characters and ourselves.
I was reminded of those long ago summer nights recently by a
former colleague of mine. After spending a few hours reminiscing and talking
about our future, he asked if I was afraid of change. "Of course
not," had been my reply, and I'd mentioned leaving the entertainment
industry to take on a day job as an example. I still hold that day job today,
though it comes with a longer title than it did back then. And adroitly, my
friend mentioned that career change had been a long time ago (true). He asked
again if I was afraid of change. After all, today I have a family that depends
on me.
Change is a given these days, but change at 25 years old
means something very different than change at the age I am today. And that's a
good thing. Change at 25 is moving to a different city, changing a college or
changing a career. It's all exciting and new, and back then, I dove in feet
first with little thought in mind about the next 10-20 years.
Change today means so much more. I embrace change in a much
different way. It's no longer reckless abandon, but instead deeply felt,
sometimes wistful, exciting, considered and with a vivid understanding of just
how meaningful - and frankly, wonderful - change truly is.
Change lives with us all every day. I see it illustrated
before me as my children grow taller and my time with them under my roof and on
this earth grows ever briefer. I embrace change at my office as people come and
go through the years, and the DNA of the Company evolves too. I embrace change
as a smart business person, as the market is changing, people are changing and
the way we connect is changing. Technology races forward, regardless of whether
or not we humble humans want to race along with it. Facebook has brought my
family closer together than we were in the decades prior. I am now part of my
brothers' and sisters' daily lives. In fact, we hold each other in the palms of
our hands, thanks to the smartphone that I am writing this blog on, over 30,000
feet in the air on a plane.
It's why I will always be a student of the world. If I want
to succeed in business and make a mark in this industry, I have to constantly
learn about how it is evolving - reading books, attending seminars, innovating.
What worked 5 years ago may not be relevant today. And how can I stay
successful and grow if I don't know the destination?
Change is not coming though. Change is already here. If you
cannot evolve, learn, embrace and love change, the world will soon leave you
behind.
Of course, dear friend, I am not afraid of change. I would
not be here today if I were, and my tomorrows in business and life would be
very short. Change is the basic mode of life.
The air is humming, and something great is here. I can't wait to see what it is.
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