21 thought-provoking quotes about change to inspire you

02/17/2025 by

Today I want to explore some quotes about change.

As the old saying goes, “Change is inevitable except from a vending machine.”

We cannot avoid change because it will happen whether we like it or not.

Trying to stop it is like trying to hold back the tide. It can’t be done.

Change is a force of nature.

If you hate change, you’re not alone. Most people hate change. That’s perfectly natural.

When we think we have everything under control, a significant change happens, and suddenly, we’re scrambling to get ourselves back to equilibrium.

Change can make life seem like a giant game of Snakes and Ladders at times.

So in today’s post, I offer 21 thought-provoking quotes about change just to underline the point.

Quotes about change (1-10)

There is nothing permanent except change. ~Heraclitus

Change is the end result of all true learning. ~Leo Buscaglia

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. ~Stephen Hawking

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. ~Carol Burnett

Just when I think I’ve learned the way to live, life changes. ~Hugh Prather

To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often. ~Winston Churchill

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. ~Oprah Winfrey

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Viktor E. Frankl

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. ~Nathaniel Branden

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Quotes about change (11-21)

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. ~Robin Williams

Change your thoughts, and you change your world. ~Norman Vincent Peale

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~Wayne Dyer

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~Jimmy Dean

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. ~Maya Angelou

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ~Barack Obama

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ~George Bernard Shaw

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. ~William Arthur Ward

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. ~John F. Kennedy

Without change, there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. ~William Pollard

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit. ~Christopher McCandless

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The importance of change and the opportunities it brings

05/05/2024 by

Today, dear reader, I’d like to explore the importance of change to a business and the opportunities it brings. For the fleet-footed entrepreneur, opportunity is synonymous with change. If that isn’t obvious, trust me, it’s true. And that’s why it’s important to embrace change.

1. Change is inevitable:

As the old saying goes, change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

We cannot avoid change, quite simply, because it’s going to happen whether we like it or not. Trying to stop it is like trying to hold back the tide. It cannot be done. Change is simply a force of nature.

However, if you hate change, don’t worry because you’re not alone. Most people hate change.

Just when we think we have everything under control, a significant change happens and suddenly we’re scrambling to get ourselves back to equilibrium. It makes life seem like a giant game of Snakes and Ladders, doesn’t it?

2. Fear of change is natural:

Actually feeling uncomfortable when faced with change is both rational and natural because one of the most basic human needs is the need to feel secure. Change is an uncomfortable experience because it makes us feel insecure.

However, we must control any fear we have about it and we must have the courage to do whatever is necessary to ensure that we respond appropriately as the winds of change start blowing around us.

3. Businesses can be fragile:

Change can affect a business in many ways, given that plenty of things can change for a business over time.

For instance, consumers’ needs, wants, and expectations will change over time, as will technology; markets, competition, and regulations. And of course, let’s not forget taxation. Governments are constantly tinkering with taxation, as their need for money increases.

Therefore, business owners and executives must be on their guard constantly, anticipating change and how it might affect their business.

Whether you’re an owner, an executive or just an employee, if you’re involved with a business then you cannot afford to become too complacent.

Ignore change and it’ll kill your business quicker than you might imagine. It can kill your career, too. Businesses can be fragile if they’re exposed suddenly to the harsh reality of change.

4. Change on an industrial scale:

It’s easy to think that major corporations that dominate whole industries are immune from the impact that change can bring. Unfortunately, this isn’t so.

Consider, for instance, the computer industry.

IBM was once the behemoth of that industry. The very name was synonymous with everything that was best in the information technology (IT) sector, globally. So glowing was their reputation that there was an old saying universally accepted in business, “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.“

They were Big Blue, second to no one.

However, their size and reputation didn’t stop them from almost paying a heavy price for failing to anticipate changing IT trends.

For years, IBM favoured large centralised computer installations that filled whole buildings. And IBM didn’t see any reason to do anything differently, as they were in the business of supplying these and making good money from them.

Neither did they believe that many people would actually need computers. As recently as 1943 Thomas Watson, then Chairman of IBM said, “I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.”

However, IBM’s lack of foresight didn’t end there.

Having introduced what we now call the PC to the market in 1982, they didn’t believe it had any real future. Apparently, their original forecast for global sales for the PC was just 25,000 units, worldwide.

IBM didn’t want PCs to sell because they saw centralised corporate computer systems as where the real money was. Their failure to see the potential of the PC allowed Microsoft to move in and become a dominant player at IBM’s expense.

Failure to recognize changing trends and how they would affect the demand for computers and the way computers were going to be used had almost catastrophic consequences for IBM.

To be fair, they did manage to adapt eventually, but not before their business came dangerously close to collapse. And to this day, they do not dominate their industry in the way they once did.

5. Heavyweights no more:

Another good example of a dominant industry player failing to recognise the winds of change was Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).

If you’re not familiar with that name, dear reader, they were the leading supplier of what was then known as the mini-computer back in the late 1970s.

However, it seems DEC allowed its dominant industry position to cloud its judgment because back in 1977, Ken Olson, then President, Chairman, and founder of DEC observed, “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.”

Where is DEC now?

They’re nothing more than a footnote in the history of digital technology. Few people, other than old computer industry hands, will even remember the name.

And yet the demand for computer technology products is greater than it has ever been. Every household has several of them in the form of desktops, laptops, and, in particular, tablets and smartphones.

Today, the computer industry is dominated by companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google. None of these companies even existed when Ken Olson made his unfortunate comment in 1977.

Another good example is Kodak, once the dominant player in the photographic products industry. As recently as 1976, Kodak commanded 90% of film sales and 85% of camera sales in the United States. Where are they now? Certainly, nothing like the company they once were, that’s for sure.

6. Change brings opportunity:

Set aside the fear of change, and you’ll see that it’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it generates opportunities for the fleet-footed. So there’s a positive dimension to change as well.

If it’s embraced, then opportunities are always there for the taking.

Just think about it for a second. If change didn’t happen, we’d all still be living in caves and riding around on donkeys.

Most companies, particularly large corporations, are usually far too slow in responding to change. However, that offers plenty of scope for smaller, faster, and more flexible businesses to move in and relieve the big boys of their lunch.

So change is a positive dynamic.

7. See change positively:

Let’s face it if everything always remained the same, then most of the things we enjoy and take for granted today wouldn’t exist.

In developed countries, we enjoy a standard of living that would have been beyond the imagination of people even a century ago. Think about that statement for a second; everything we now take for granted today once didn’t exist.

The point is that we ignore change at our peril, particularly in business.

So it’s better to embrace change positively than to ignore it.

Yes, of course, it feels uncomfortable, but we all get used to changes in the fullness of time.

If change is going to happen anyway, then we might as well see what’s in it for us, surely?

If we’re in business, or indeed, as people, we should always be constantly thinking about how we can exploit change to our advantage. How can we seize the opportunities that will come along as a natural consequence of change?

To exploit change, we need to become trend-watchers. And not just single trends.

We need to be watching every trend that might have an impact on ourselves and our businesses.

We must consider how those trends might come together to create a perfect storm, the winds of which might do us harm or become the wind beneath our wings.

Whether the consequences are good or bad, we must always be ready for them.

9. Conclusion:

Successful people are adept at exploiting opportunities brought about by change.

Change is synonymous with opportunity, it’s that simple.

Never fear change, you must embrace it.

If success is your aim, then change can be your friend.

However, never underestimate the harm change can do, should you become too complacent.

Change can be a force for good, but equally, it can be a dangerous force for the unwary.

When you think of change, think positively, but think defensively too.

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30 quotes to make you think about life

02/02/2023 by

QUOTES TO MAKE YOU THINKIf you’re looking for some quotes to make you think, dear reader, then take a close look at the 30 I’ve put together for you today.

They are all observations about life as we know it today. We live in strange times, and they appear to be getting stranger as each day passes.

In my experience, each decade has a unique feel and the one in which we now live is no different. The 2020s are shaping up to be quite unique, that’s for sure.

On the positive side, nothing lasts forever. So, we have every reason to believe that life can improve. However, it will only improve if we challenge the orthodoxy and refuse to accept that which is unacceptable.

Anyway, grab a coffee, relax, and see what you make of these 30 excellent quotes.

And please feel free to pass them on.

Quotes to make you think (1-15):

  1. The silent majority is irrelevant.
  2. Just because you believe it, doesn’t mean it’s true. 
  3. Import the world and you import the world’s problems.  
  4. A fact will always be a fact however much you wish it were not. 
  5. There’s never a time when everything’s done. There’s always more to do.
  6. To believe is to accept as fact that which cannot be proven with certainty.
  7. We appear to have sleepwalked into allowing the lunatics to run the asylum.
  8. Beware the useful idiots with a reckless commitment to a questionable cause. 
  9. There’s no obligation for people to adjust their lives to suit your life preferences. 
  10. Who amongst us has not done something in our youth that we now know to be wrong? 
  11. The lives we experience are a consequence of the choices we make. Bad choices lead to bad outcomes.
  12. Just because bad ideas are accepted into mainstream thinking doesn’t mean they cease to be bad ideas. 
  13. An inconvenient truth may be inconvenient but that doesn’t mean it’s not the truth. Fact is fact, whether we like it or not. 
  14. When selection is based on tokenism rather than talent and ability, then the tokens will always struggle to be taken seriously.
  15. If a politician’s explanation is vague and lacks clarity, then it’s wise to be suspicious. What is it they’re trying to keep from us, and why?

Quotes to make you think (16-25):

  1. Just because your intentions are good doesn’t mean the outcome will be good. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
  2. Increasingly the western world is controlled by ideologues whose aim is to crush dissent and anyone who questions the orthodoxy. 
  3. You cannot have democracy without free speech. Curtail the freedom to express alternative opinions and democracy ceases to exist. 
  4. If democracy is to work, then there must be a winner. And once there is a winner, the loser must accept the winner’s right to govern.
  5. A peaceful life can come at a high price. Think twice before you choose a peaceful existence over standing up for what you know is right. 
  6. If developing critical thinking skills is not the primary purpose of education, then you would have to question the value of education. 
  7. Anyone who travels regularly in a private jet is in no position to lecture other people about the impact of carbon emissions on climate change.
  8. Fashion is an industry that exploits a natural, youthful need to fit in, whilst causing enormous environmental damage in their pursuit of profit. 
  9. Politicians think only in terms of actions that will get them credit in the short term. Those who would do our countries harm know this and exploit it quite effectively. 
  10. When politicians refer to zero tolerance for misinformation online, what they really mean is that dissent and any questioning of their worldview will not be tolerated.

Quotes to make you think (26-30):

  1. If politicians are trying to stop us from questioning the views they’re promoting, that’s a very good reason to keep asking awkward questions and refusing to be fobbed off with polite but meaningless answers. 
  2. Haters just want to destroy. They have no real idea as to how life might be made better. They have no vision, only a thirst for destruction. Don’t be fooled by claims that they’re acting in everyone’s interests. They’re not!
  3. If we allow the world to go fully cashless, are we blindly handing over control of our lives to ‘Big Tech’? Giving away our financial freedom so cheaply is probably a mistake from which it will be impossible to recover. 
  4. The problem with the notion of a hate crime is who gets to define the term hate. Mostly it appears to be those with a vested interest in establishing themselves as victims and therefore deserving of special treatment. 
  5. Equity of outcome might seem like a good idea but, if we go down that road, it will not end well. Equity of opportunity is beyond question, but to guarantee an outcome regardless of effort and enterprise is simply a race to the bottom. 

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19 quotes about change and why it’s important

01/30/2023 by

QUOTES ABOUT CHANGEOne of the most fundamental human needs is the need for certainty. We need certainty because we need to feel secure.

As a species, human beings are programmed to ensure we survive. If we don’t feel secure then we are constantly on our guard, which drains our energy.

That’s why change can be an uncomfortable experience because it makes us feel insecure and feeling insecure means we can’t relax.

Most of us can feel uncomfortable with change, at least to some degree, and that’s perfectly natural when you think about it.

However, change is important.

Through change comes opportunity and if we can embrace change then opportunity can be ours for the taking.

Most people tend to be slow in their response to change because it’s such an uncomfortable experience. However, if we respond quickly we can grasp those opportunities just waiting for the fleet-footed.

Think about this; everything we take for granted today once didn’t exist.

A good example of this would be computers. Today most households have several of them in the form of Desktops, Laptops and Tablets, as well as Smartphones.

Certainly, this is the situation in my home and I’m sure that’s true in your home too, dear reader.

However as recently as 1943 Thomas Watson, then Chairman of IBM said, “I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.”

Well, there are more than five computers in my home alone and there will be billions more around the world.

As recently as 1977 Ken Olson then President, Chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), the leading supplier of mini-computers at the time, said, “There’s no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.”

We’re lucky that neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs listened to those gentlemen.

However, in business terms, these examples are even more significant.

Failure to recognize the changing nature of the computer market had almost catastrophic consequences for IBM as a business.

They did manage to adapt eventually but not before their business went through a major wobble and at one point looked like it might even fold completely.

And where is Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) now? It disappeared long ago and is now nothing more than a footnote in the history of digital technology.

So my message to you today dear reader is this; you ignore change at your peril.

It’s better to embrace it, however uncomfortable it may feel, and be ready to grab those opportunities as they come along.

The most successful people in business are adept at exploiting opportunities brought about by change.

Change is synonymous with opportunity. It’s that simple.

Here are 19 inspirational quotes about change to help you reflect on what it means and why it’s important. 

Quotes about change (1-10):

  1. Change before you have to. ~Jack Welch
  2. Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. ~Stephen Hawking
  3. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. ~Winston Churchill
  4. If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ~Lao Tzu
  5. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~Wayne Dyer
  6. The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. ~Nathaniel Branden
  7. The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. ~Alan Watts
  8. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. ~John F. Kennedy
  9. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ~Barack Obama
  10. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. ~Reinhold Niebuhr

Quotes about change (11-19):

  1. There is nothing so stable as change. ~Bob Dylan
  2. There is nothing permanent except change. ~Heraclitus
  3. Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. ~Confucius
  4. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi
  5. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ~Leo Tolstoy
  6. The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. ~Carl Rogers
  7. They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. ~Andy Warhol
  8. You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. ~Jim Rohn
  9. It is change, continuing change, inevitable change that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account, not only the world as it is but the world as it will be. ~Isaac Asimov

Please share these quotes with your friends:

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So go on, please share this post now. If you do, I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you.

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