The past vs the future. A simple concept that can really relieve stress over where you are now. Today I saw an article about one single blockbuster left. Wow times change. I remember when that became a ‘thing’ having an account at blockbuster was cool! Having the VCR (autocorrect doesn’t even recognize VCR lol) and watching movies at home was pretty new.
When all of that was a thing it never occurred to me that blockbuster would ever not exist.
Wow Times Change
Fast forward to the news today about only one single blockbuster left. My perspective today tells me that is something to rejoice over. It is a marker of growth. Much like the child that learns to run stops crawling, this is a passage into a new normal that all the world can see.
I remember when I first heard about streaming movies. I honestly thought it was a ‘joke’ commercial and waited for the punchline. You see at that time I was still on dial up internet! I lived in a relatively remote rural location on a dirt road. That ad was like a disney world dream at the time.
I did become an early adopter of the trend and never looked back. So what does this story have to do with anything? Its about change. Its about something AH calls contrast. We all experience it, its the thing that doesn’t feel good. Its a blessing, really!
Have you ever returned to a childhood home and it seemed so much smaller than you remember? Or haven’t seen your nephew in awhile and they got so big? Thats one of the benefits of contrast. It lets you see really how much you’ve grown and how far you have come. Its a gift actually.
Personal growth is a moment by moment thing. We grow a little here, a little there and really don’t see how far we have come until we look back from a higher perspective. It is from this point we can gather inspiration and confidence to move forward into even bigger ideas.
Blockbuster is like that for me. A marker showing me how far we have come technologically. In my personal life contrast also is a bar from which to measure my growth. When something doesn’t feel good how long do I dwell on it? How long does it take me to pivot and tell a different story? How long will I give up my peace of mind and joy for this situation?
That answer is different on different days or certain topics of course. The main point here to understand is thats Okay! Its progress and generally moving in the right direction. Our own brand of contrast is possibly our greatest gift. More on that next time…